MANILA, Philippines — Far from suggestions that a constitutional crisis is brewing as a result of the impeachment of the Chief Justice, what is unraveling shows proof that the country’s constitutional process is “alive and working” and that democracy and the Supreme Court (SC) may come out stronger, senators said on Thursday.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano described as “healthy” the controversial verbal clash between President Benigno S. Aquino III and Chief Justice Renato C. Corona.
“We still haven’t reached a point of constitutional crisis. In fact, we are experiencing the reverse. The Constitution is alive and it is working. The clashing of the great powers of the government was meant by the framers of the Constitution. Precisely, because the government shouldn’t be a dictatorship with only one person or branch reigning supreme,” Cayetano said.
The minority leader said that after listening to Corona’s scathing speech against the Chief Executive, it is clear that “things are going to get worse before they get better.”
“It’s healthy. It’s an extraordinary release because not everyone gets impeached. It’s not often that the House gets to decide on the impeachment of an impeachable officer. But this just shows the Constitutional process is working,” he said.
Cayetano said that allowing the public to openly see the conflict between the two co-equal branches of government is a vigorous exercise.
“Both sides, the Executive and the Judiciary, feel they are required to articulate their stands and explain to the people what is happening. But the Senate has to be very fair and we have to stick to the evidence and to the issues that are brought up in the impeachment court,” he said.
He rejected suggestions that these developments indicate that the country could suffer a constitutional crisis.
“A constitutional crisis will occur if, in the event of a conflict between branches of the government, the Constitution does not clearly state how the situation will be resolved. But right now, with the impeachment process, the system is really working,” Cayetano said.
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