Corona lawyers hit back at critics, House prosecutors
The camp of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona on Friday appealed to critics of the magistrate not to easily pass judgment on the character of the members of his legal team.
In a press briefing at the Ateneo Law School campus in Makati, defense lawyers said Corona's critics should refrain from being "judgmental" and learn to respect the position and opinion of both parties in the impeachment case.
"Ang problema sa ilang mga kababayan natin, pagtayo pa lang namin hinuhusgahan kaagad kami. That's in excess. That's going beyond the line," defense lawyer and spokesman Tranquil Salvador III told reporters.
The lawyers' statement came amid reports quoting Black and White Movement convenor Leah Navarro as saying that Corona's defense lawyers might get favors from the Supreme Court in the future simply because they are lawyering for the chief justice.
"Masama bang tumayo sa tama? Sila ay may tinatayuan din na kung ano ang tingin nila ay tama. At kami din ay tumatayo lang sa tingin namin na tama. Kaya sana huwag naman nila husgahan ang aming pagtayo," Salvador said when asked to react to Navarro's pronouncements.
Atty. Karen Jimeno, another defense spokesperson, said the public should not easily lose their trust in the government. "Parang hindi na tayo naniniwala sa mga institusyon... kapag iniisip nila kaagad na kapag may ginawa ka ay may kapalit kaagad," she said.
Rebuttal
Salvador also slammed critics who have accused lead defense counsel and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas of extending legal services only to moneyed and powerful clients.
"Bigyan naman po natin ng respeto ang nakatatanda. Iyan kasi ang dapat na ibinibigay natin na ehemplo sa iba, lalo na sa mga bata," Salvador said.
The lawyers reminded the public not fall prey into the "trial by publicity" which some groups are resorting to. Sen. Gregorio Honasan, during Thursday's impeachment trial, expressed his observation that Corona's impeachment case seemed to be "moving faster" outside the court room than inside it.
Disclosure to media
During Day 11 of the impeachment trial Thursday, the prosecution panel was reprimanded for releasing to the media pieces of evidence that it has yet to present during the trial.
Among the prosecution's allegations as contained in eight Articles of Impeachment is Corona's supposed failure to disclose properties in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
The prosecution has also presented witnesses claiming that some of the properties declared by the chief magistrate in his SALNs were undervalued.
"Undervalued? Huwag natin masyado gamitin iyan or i-highlight, kasi parang conclusion na iyan," Salvador said, stressing that a property's fair market, assessed, and acquisition value always vary. — ELR, GMA News
In a press briefing at the Ateneo Law School campus in Makati, defense lawyers said Corona's critics should refrain from being "judgmental" and learn to respect the position and opinion of both parties in the impeachment case.
"Ang problema sa ilang mga kababayan natin, pagtayo pa lang namin hinuhusgahan kaagad kami. That's in excess. That's going beyond the line," defense lawyer and spokesman Tranquil Salvador III told reporters.
The lawyers' statement came amid reports quoting Black and White Movement convenor Leah Navarro as saying that Corona's defense lawyers might get favors from the Supreme Court in the future simply because they are lawyering for the chief justice.
"Masama bang tumayo sa tama? Sila ay may tinatayuan din na kung ano ang tingin nila ay tama. At kami din ay tumatayo lang sa tingin namin na tama. Kaya sana huwag naman nila husgahan ang aming pagtayo," Salvador said when asked to react to Navarro's pronouncements.
Atty. Karen Jimeno, another defense spokesperson, said the public should not easily lose their trust in the government. "Parang hindi na tayo naniniwala sa mga institusyon... kapag iniisip nila kaagad na kapag may ginawa ka ay may kapalit kaagad," she said.
Rebuttal
Salvador also slammed critics who have accused lead defense counsel and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas of extending legal services only to moneyed and powerful clients.
"Bigyan naman po natin ng respeto ang nakatatanda. Iyan kasi ang dapat na ibinibigay natin na ehemplo sa iba, lalo na sa mga bata," Salvador said.
The lawyers reminded the public not fall prey into the "trial by publicity" which some groups are resorting to. Sen. Gregorio Honasan, during Thursday's impeachment trial, expressed his observation that Corona's impeachment case seemed to be "moving faster" outside the court room than inside it.
Disclosure to media
During Day 11 of the impeachment trial Thursday, the prosecution panel was reprimanded for releasing to the media pieces of evidence that it has yet to present during the trial.
Among the prosecution's allegations as contained in eight Articles of Impeachment is Corona's supposed failure to disclose properties in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
The prosecution has also presented witnesses claiming that some of the properties declared by the chief magistrate in his SALNs were undervalued.
"Undervalued? Huwag natin masyado gamitin iyan or i-highlight, kasi parang conclusion na iyan," Salvador said, stressing that a property's fair market, assessed, and acquisition value always vary. — ELR, GMA News
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