Two recent developments clearly showed that President Park Geun-hye and her underlings in the ruling Saenuri Party are digging their trenches deeper as the Constitutional Court deliberates on the impeachment bill passed by the National Assembly.

First, Park refuted all the impeachment charges against her, heralding a dogged legal battle with the top court under strong public pressure to uphold the impeachment.

In the position paper her defense team delivered to the top court on Friday, Park denied the accusations that she committed five counts of violations of the Constitution and eight counts of breaches of other laws.

The 24-page paper made it clear that Park will fight it out in the court to prove that the charges are not true and that she does not have any legal accountability in the peddling of influence and corruption scandal involving her and her associates.

Park specifically rejected the bribery charges against her, which were related to funds conglomerates donated to two foundations controlled by her longtime friend and confidante Choi Soon-sil. Park also denied the accusation she neglected her duties during the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014.

All these defiant reactions had been largely anticipated, but seeing the president whose misdeeds and transgressions have shocked and enraged the whole nation say unabashedly that she did not commit any wrongdoings makes one feel more sad than indignant.

Park’s rejection of each of the impeachment charges calls upon the investigation team of independent counsel Park Young-soo to secure uncontested evidence to prove Park’s misdeeds. The team should take a lesson from the state prosecution which failed to -- among other things -- personally interrogate Park, thus allowing her to take cover at her residence.

On the same day their boss made public her determination to hold out to the end, Park’s dutiful loyalists in the ruling party did their own job to dig a deeper trench for her and themselves.

Running counter to the demand in and outside the party that they take a backseat to take responsibility for the crisis in the Park presidency, the pro-Park faction again flexed their muscle to get one of its members elected as new floor leader.

Despite the narrow margin, the 62-55 vote that enthroned Chung Woo-taik betrayed a nation that had hoped -- like when about half of its lawmakers joined the opposition to impeach Park -- the party would make the right decision.

By making the wrong, reactionary decision, the party lost a precious chance to reform itself and restore public confidence ahead of the next presidential election. Moreover, Chung’s election as floor leader cast a cloud over bipartisan parliamentary cooperation because the opposition rejects him as a legitimate representative of the ruling party.

Chung said his election should lay the basis for harmony and reform to rebuild the party to prevent leftists from taking power through the next presidential election. This sounds hollow, because the pro-Park faction’s hegemonic control of the party and their blind loyalty to her escalated the party’s internal conflicts and, more importantly, contributed to ruining the Park presidency.

In a reconciliatory gesture, Chung called for the disbandment of the pro-Park faction and asked its senior members to take a backseat in party affairs. He also suggested the non-Park faction recommend the head of an interim leadership council.

The problem is that all these measures could be nothing more than an attempt to appease nonmainstreamers and prevent a breakup of the party.

There is a possibility the pro-Park faction, while accepting a non-Park or outside figure as the head of the caretaker leadership council, attempts to have one of its members as co-leader. They may well try to get as many faction members as possible into the council.

That would only result in them digging a grave for themselves and the party. The public command -- as clarified by the overwhelming parliamentary impeachment and candlelight vigils -- is for Park and her underlings in both the government and ruling party search their souls and take due responsibility.