Marami ang humanga sa walang kagatol-gatol na testimonya ni Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales sa makasaysayang impeachment trial ni Chief Justice Renato Corona. Marami nang tumiklop sa pagtatanong ng lead counsel ng defense na si dating Justice Serafin Cuevas, pero hindi ang Ombdusman.

Unang gumawa ng kasaysayan si Carpio-Morales bilang kauna-unahang babaeng huwes na nagpanumpa sa isang Pangulo ng bansa noong June 30, 2010. Siya ang pinili ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino III sa halip na ang Punong Mahistrado, gaya ng nakagawian.

Bihirang magbigay ng panayam ang Ombudsman, ngunit naging mapalad ang aking programang Pipol, at kami ay kanyang pinaunlakan noong Oktubre 2010, ilang buwan lamang matapos siyang hirangin sa bagong puwesto.

Kuwento niya sa akin, masayang masaya siya sa karangalang makapagpanumpa sa Pangulo sa kabila ng kontrobersiya ukol dito.

“I was euphoric, people had been criticizing why I accepted it. People had been telling me I should decline it, and suggest it should be Chief Justice [Renato Corona] who should administer,” aniya.

“But who am I to suggest it? I could have declined, but to me it was an honor. It would have been hypocrisy on my part to decline it and miss history.”

Nauna dito, noong Marso 2010, si Carpio-Morales ang kaisa-isang Associate Justice ng Supreme Court na tumutol sa desisyon ng mayorya na nagpahintulot kay Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo na maghirang ng bagong Chief Justice sa kabila ng pagbabawal sa tinatawag na “midnight appointments.”

Isang buwan at kalahati bago bumaba sa puwesto si Pangulong Arroyo, nanumpa sa kanya si Corona bilang bagong Chief Justice. Tanong ko kay Carpio-Morales, “You must have nerves of steel to do that. What does it take to vote against your colleagues?”

Ang kanyang naging tugon, “It didn’t bother me, I had to do what I thought was right. And right or wrong, I had to decide. It was not difficult. I was happy writing [my dissenting opinion] because that was what I thought. If it turned out to be wrong, I’m sorry, that was what I thought.”

Sa tanong naman kung may pumigil sa kanyang desisyon, ito ang matapang niyang kasagutan,” No fortunately and even if there were I would have been I would have been unmindful of them. I am impervious to influence.”

Tinutulan ni dating Pangulong Arroyo ang appointment ni Carpio-Morales bilang Ombudsman sa dahilang magiging biased siya, pero sagot ng Ombudsman, “I have not, I am not, I will never be [biased]. I will go after the evidence.”

Sa nakaraang State of the Nation Address, inanunsyo ni Pangulong Aquino ang pagkakahirang sa dating Justice bilang Ombudsman. Sa pangambang magiging sunud-sunuran lang siya dito, buwelta ni Carpio-Morales, “I don’t think I get orders from the President. In fact, he told me after the SONA, ‘Maintain your independence.’ No instructions whatsoever.”

Tubong Ilocos Norte, sumunod sa yapak ng yumaong ama na si Judge Lucas Carpio si Conchita Carpio-Morales. Kaklase ni dating Presidente Ferdinand Marcos ang ama, kaya kumpiyansa ito na ang anak ay magiging hurado rin tulad niya. Pero natanggal sa listahan ang noo’y empleyado ng Deparment of Justice nang una itong mag-apply bilang hurado. Hindi daw kasi siya lumalapit sa mga politiko.

“I was very confident. I am Ilokana, my father was a classmate. Anyway, so I thought I would make it. The KBL (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan) people said, Ilokana nga ako pero hindi ako lumalapit. I didn’t think I had to approach politicians.”

Pero nagdasal si Carpio-Morales sa Neustra Señora de Peñafrancia ng Bicol para matupad ang pangarap ng ama para sa kanya. Nagulat na lamang siya na noong taong 1983 ay sa Bicol region siya na-destino.

Nahirang siya bilang huwes ng Regional Trial Court sa Pili, Camarines Sur. Dito lamang napaluha ang matapang na Justice nang balikan ang naging sakripisyo bilang ina. Tuwing weekend lang kasi siya umuuwi para makapiling ang mga anak.

“It was heartbreaking. I left my sons when they were still young, and because my father wanted me to be a judge as long as he was alive, I had to accept the appointment. It was a distance of more than 450 kilometers. I would leave my sons late at night, and my husband would drive me to the bus station. My younger son would cling to me like a bat,” ani Carpio-Morales.

Sa 28 taong pagserbisyo sa hudikatura, walang bahid si Carpio-Morales. Nakilala siya sa pagiging tapat ng kanyang mga desisyon sa korte. Ito ang simple niyang paliwanag nang pag-usapan namin kung paano niya natamo ang kanyang malinis sa reputasyon:

Ces: I am sure there have been attempts to infuence you throughout your career? How can one be impervious to influence?
Carpio-Morales: All you have to do is look at the facts of the case and apply it in relation to the law. Whether you are right or wrong if that is your opinion that is it.
Ces: It is very clinical?
Carpio-Morales: Very. I will tell you sometimes extra legal factors come in, it is inhuman of you not to consider the extralegal, but in weighing these extralegal factors, it should be legal factors which should dominate. If you take into consideration [extralegal factors], you will not be true to yourself.
Ces: You cannot live with yourself?
Carpio-Morales: Yes.
Ces: As simple as that?
Carpio-Morales: Yes!

Malaki pa ang hamon kay Carpio-Morales sa pagtupad ng kanyang tungkulin bilang Ombudsman. Marami ang umaasang magtatagumpay siya sa trabahong pagsugpo sa katiwalian, dahil ito ay kanyang isinabuhay.

NOTE: Related photo can be found here