VOLUNTEER WITNESS Rep. Tobias Tiangco takes his oath on Monday before testifying for the defense at the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona at the Senate. SENATE POOL
With his colleagues watching behind him, Navotas Representative Tobias Tiangco on Monday broke ranks and appeared as a witness for the defense panel in the resumption of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Tiangco testified on what defense lawyer Dennis Manalo called a 鈥減attern or scheme鈥 in the House of Representatives 鈥渢o intimidate or exert undue influence鈥 on a member to support moves such as the filing of the Corona impeachment complaint.
According to聽 Tiangco, the administration may exert pressure on a lawmaker by delaying or withholding his pork barrel.
A first-term congressman, Tiangco recounted how the House led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte cooked up the impeachment complaint during a majority caucus on December 12, the same day Corona was impeached.
Under direct examination by Manalo, Tiangco said he had 鈥減syched鈥 himself up to sign the complaint 鈥渨ith eyes closed鈥 ahead of the caucus. But he said he still did not do so after finding no 鈥減robable cause鈥 to impeach Corona.
鈥淚 was not convinced that there was probable cause,鈥 the witness told the impeachment court. 鈥淚 understand probable cause as the probability that the accused did what he is being accused of. How could I be convinced if there was no document or proof being presented?鈥
Tiangco recalled the previous impeachment case against then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez when his 鈥淧riority Development Assistance Fund鈥 (PDAF) was allegedly withheld after he refused to sign the complaint prepared by the stalwarts of President Benigno Aquino III.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to catch the ire of the most powerful man in the country who has a very high popularity rating, that is, the President of the Philippines,鈥 he said.
鈥淭he President can make life miserable for you,鈥 Tiangco added, recalling his experience as a member of the political opposition during the nine-year regime of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Tiangco took the witness stand despite the risk of further antagonizing his colleagues. He earlier lost key committee posts after refusing to sign the impeachment complaint against the Chief Justice.
The congressman downplayed the possibility of angering fellow congressmen because of his decision to testify. 鈥淚t鈥檚 OK. They鈥檙e supporting me,鈥 he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
鈥淣o,鈥 Tiangco replied when asked about the awkward situation of testifying against his colleagues, many of whom were sitting in the VIP section of the Senate session hall.
Zero pork threat
House prosecutors were generally cordial to Tiangco, who even engaged in light banter with Representative Rodolfo Fari帽as during his direct examination. Fari帽as, the deputy chief prosecutor, later briefly cross-examined him.
But Cavite Representative Jose Emilio Abaya, chair manof the House committee on appropriations, did not look amused, especially when Tiangco brought up the Gutierrez impeachment case.
Tiangco recalled that a text message had circulated claiming that congressmen who would not support the Gutierrez impeachment would receive 鈥渮ero鈥 PDAF, more popularly known as 鈥減ork barrel.鈥
Senate Juan Ponce Enrile, the presiding officer, stressed he was giving the defense a lot of 鈥渓eeway鈥 but appeared impatient about the relevance of the Gutierrez impeachment to the Corona trial.
Manalo said Tiangco鈥檚 testimony would prove that the Corona impeachment was 鈥減olitically motivated.鈥
鈥淲e are obviously proving that there is a pattern or scheme or plant or modus operandi with the majority of the House of Representatives to intimidate or exert undue influence upon their other members to approve their measures such as this impeachment case filed against Chief Justice Renato Corona,鈥 the defense counsel said.
Tiangco recalled getting a text message from Budget Secretary Florencio 鈥淏utch鈥 Abad in reaction to his press release complaining about the nonrelease of his PDAF.
鈥淐ong. Tiangco, read your PR today re PDAF. On my own, I cannot withhold any legislators鈥 PDAF. I suggest you find a way to talk to PNoy (President Aquino). The Speaker can help you along this line,鈥 the message read, a copy of which was marked as exhibit for the defense.
Tiangco said his PDAF was eventually released shortly before he was about to discuss the matter with Abad during a budget briefing at the House.
Last year, he said he received a text message informing congressmen about an 鈥渁ll-majority caucus鈥 on December 12 but with no agenda.
鈥淚 tried to psyche myself up. I tried to force myself to vote 鈥榶es鈥 in case the matter to be tackled would be impeachment,鈥 he recalled, noting his supposedly negative experience with the Gutierrez impeachment case.
In an ABS-CBN report, however, Abad denied that it was the administration鈥檚 policy to withhold the pork of lawmakers who did not toe the line.
Fari帽as objected to Tiangco鈥檚 testimony about the caucus, claiming legislative privilege. But he was overruled.
In the caucus, Tiangco said Belmonte informed some 120 to 130 congressmen at the Andaya Hall: 鈥淲e will impeach the Chief Justice today. Chief Justice Corona is a prot茅g茅 of GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) and he would do nothing else but to protect (her)鈥︹
鈥淗e will be an obstacle to the good intentions of President Noynoy. Think about it. What could the President do in his six years in office if the Supreme Court would block his good intentions?鈥 Belmonte added.
Tiangco said Representative Niel Tupas Jr., chairman of the House committee on justice, later made a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation discussing the eight articles of impeachment. But he said the presentation contained only 鈥渂ullet鈥 points and short 鈥渘arratives.鈥
Tiangco noted that Tupas showed no document such as certifications when he discussed, for instance, Article 2, which alleged that Corona did not publicly disclose his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth. 鈥淚 cannot sign (the complaint) without reading it (first),鈥 he said.
Besides the absence of proof, Tiangco said he went against the House leadership because 鈥淚 felt it was an attempt to control or to scare the Supreme Court. It鈥檚 not a simple impeachment of the Chief Justice,鈥 he added.
Enrile later sustained the prosecution鈥檚 objection that Tiangco was expressing an 鈥渙pinion.鈥
Tiangco said he particularly did not like that Belmonte told the caucus that the Corona impeachment was 鈥渘ondebatable.鈥
鈥淣o questions will be entertained,鈥 the group was supposedly told.
鈥淭o me, it was a veiled threat,鈥 the witness said, noting that the House was supposed to be a 鈥渄eliberative body.鈥
Before the presentation, Tiangco said Muntinlupa Representative Rodolfo Biazon took the floor and complained in a 鈥渉igh voice鈥 that while media people knew that a caucus had been called to impeach Corona the congressmen were not even given a copy of the impeachment complaint that they were to sign.
Tiangco also said that similarly disturbed, Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez purportedly asked if congressmen could not raise 鈥渃larifications鈥 after Tupas鈥 presentation. He said Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II then told Rodriguez that if he had questions he should raise them on the floor.
Belmonte supposedly replied only to Biazon鈥檚 query and said that lawmakers could secure copies of the impeachment complaint later.
Harmless rantings
In an interview with reporters, Belmonte dismissed Tiangco鈥檚 鈥渞antings鈥 and said his testimony was 鈥渉armless.鈥
鈥淲hat is he complaining about? He got what is due him,鈥 he said. 鈥淭obias is just making himself important.鈥
Gonzales indicated that Tiangco could be subjected to disciplinary action for unethical behavior, pointing out that he had a duty to defend the integrity of the House.
He denied he was threatening Tiangco with expulsion. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a matter of stating what is provided for by the rules and the Constitution,鈥 Gonzales said.
鈥淚f ever there will be expulsion proceedings, I am ready to face it,鈥 Tiangco told reporters later. 鈥淲hat I said is the truth. That institution must live on truth. It cannot live on lies so it must survive on what is true.鈥
Corona鈥檚 defense lawyers condemned the expulsion threat against Tiangco. 鈥淭hat is an attempt to interfere in the administration of justice,鈥 said Jose Roy III. With reports from Cynthia D. Balana, Gil C. Cabacungan and Marlon Ramos