Defense lawyer on Corona's rumored 'mistress': We believe in his integrity

The defense panel of Chief Justice Renato Corona in the impeachment trial on Wednesday appealed to the public not to easily believe everything they read on the Internet, including stories about a supposed second family of Corona's living in the U.S.

 

Corona attorney and spokesman Tranquil Salvador's statement came amid rumors circulating on social networking sites that the embattled magistrate purportedly has a second family in the U.S. owning properties bequeathed by Corona.

 

"We respect those who use social media as means of communication, but siguro for any information that we recieve - text, tweet, blog, or Facebook - there is always a way to verify this," said Salvador in a briefing after Wednesday's impeachment trial.

 

Rumor has it that Corona placed several of his real estate properties under the name of his alleged mistress so that they would be hard to trace in case the government investigates.

 

Asked whether there was truth to the rumors, Salvador said: "Kami po ay naniniwala sa integridad ni Chief Justice."

 

"Let's be responsible sa tinatanggap natin. Madaling sabihin ang ganito," Salvador said, adding that the public should be more vigilant when it comes to information they get especially from the Internet.

 

For his part, another defense lawyer Jose "Judd" Roy III, in an ambush interview at the Senate, said the rumors circulating was only meant to "insult" the Corona family.  He added that the rumors are coming out because, in his mind at least, the prosecution has yet to present "evidence worthy of an impeachment."

 

Rep. Neptali Gonzales has earlier been quoted in reports as denying the prosecution was the source of the rumors about Corona's illegitimate family. — ELR/HS, GMA News