Prosecutor admits impeachment complaint vs Corona not well crafted

(Updated 6:54 p.m.) In what could be the day's biggest bombshell in the Senate, a member of the House prosecution team on Tuesday admitted that the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona was not well crafted. Before the day’s impeachment proceedings in the Senate drew to a close, Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas was asked if he was among the 188 lawmakers who signed the impeachment complaint against Corona last December. The lawmaker answered in the negative, adding: “Hindi ako ganoon kabilis bumasa.” He also said that he refused to sign the impeachment complaint because he thought it was not well crafted.   "Medyo masama rin ang pagkakagawa at tsaka marami na rin naman pumirma so hindi na rin ako kailangan," he admitted, drawing laughter from the gallery. The 188 lawmakers, majority of them allied with the Aquino administration, signed the 57-page document in a matter of hours after it was produced in a caucus on Dec. 12, days after President Benigno Aquino III openly criticized Corona. Defense delighted In an ambush interview right after the hearing, defense lawyer Tranquil Salvador III said they were delighted by Fariñas’ “spontaneous” admission. "Maganda na sa kanila na nanggaling iyon," Salvador said. "That was their observation, na medyo may konting pagkukulang ang complaint and that was one of the reasons why he did not sign the complaint. Gusto niya munang basahin." Salvador praised Fariñas for being "honest and candid" enough to admit the flaws of the impeachment complaint. The defense lawyer, however, said that although Farinas' statement will not have a bearing on the case, it would at least have an impact on the public's opinion. "Pero ano impact n'un sa publiko? Sasabihin nila na may punto pala ang depensa, na hindi naman pala nabasa ang complaint [ng mga konggresista]," Salvador said. Supporters of Corona, including those who contested the impeachment complaint before the Supreme Court, earlier said the case should be declared null and void because it did not go through proper verification process. Alleging that the complaint was “rushed and railroaded,” Corona’s supporters said it was impossible for the 188 lawmakers who signed the complaint to have thoroughly gone over the impeachment documents in a matter of hours. Like the defense panel, former Senator Aquilino Pimentel, who watched from the gallery, said Fariñas' admission does not have bearing on the case. He said it could be a "gimmick" on the part of the prosecution. "It's an admission to some extent but it is not something that is damaging," he said.- KBK, GMA News