Public lynching still exists

EDITORIAL

That a demolition job is now ongoing against impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona is incontovertible. That the so-called yellow media or newspapers and broadcast outfits that are freely used by Malacaang as tools for its designs are leading the charge is a total letdown.

What is being passed off in the newspapers and broadcast media as stories that are all curiously raking up whatever scrap of issue that can be dealt against the embattled Supreme Court (SC) head, however, appears to have been outlined in some place and is being released in a calculated manner to bolster what is obviously a weak impeachment case against Corona.

The vilification campaign had an obvious target, which is to influence the so-called public opinion to keep the sentiment against Corona on a high level that complements the assertion of the Palace and its allies in Congress that the impeachment trial should be treated as a political process which would depend heavily on opinion, they believe, and the decision on Corona inextricably linked to the prevailing sentiment when the trial is concluded.

Just recently even an academic conferment on Corona was headlined in one of the yellow media in which the story supposedly unearthed the irregular granting of the distinction to Corona.

This was even passed off as journalism and written by a so-called veteran journalist now writing in an online news blogging site which, it should be pointed out, has already produced two bum steered reports.

Dragged into the made up controversy was the oldest university in the country which supposedly gave Corona undue accommodations in earning his law doctorate.

The supposed expos came before House prosecutors came out with guns blazing about the supposed ill-gotten P14-million condominium of Corona that is part of the Articles of Impeachment they are presenting before the Senate court.

The House panels antics earned a rebuke from jurors of the impeachment court. The senators cited rules prohibiting the parties in the proceeding from taking up issues related to the trial before the public or the media.

Sen. Chiz Escudero said the restriction was explicit in the rules and also he said being tried is an impeached head of the SC, one of the highest officials in the country and that a degree of respect should be afforded him.

Like it or not, Corona may have been impeached by Noynoy prostitutes in the House of Representatives, but he has not been convicted and he is still the incumbent Chief Justice.

Besides, if we claim to be a democracy and abide by its rules, then he must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

But the Noynoy mob has been too busy working to portray Corona as guilty even before trial has started.

The yellow mob is backing up the attacks on Corona from the House allies of Noynoy by constantly harassing the high court and the other justices appointed by former President Arroyo who is now facing multiple charges on electoral sabotage and corruption.

What everything amounts to is a public lynching of Corona by the yellow crowd of Noynoy and it is being freely done since it is not only getting Noynoys backing but it is being also being led by public officials, not less among whom is Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Political adviser Ronald Lllamas.

The Senate proceeding would likely be treated as a mere sideshow by Noynoy and his allies in their stepped up efforts to oust Corona.

The assault on Corona conjures up a medieval image of an angry mob pulling a suspected heretic to a public hanging.

Noynoy and his mob are crying for blood and reason is alien to them.