De Lima takes witness stand in Corona trial
The prosecution in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona on Wednesday moved on to Article VII of the impeachment articles and presented Justice Leila de Lima as its first witness on that particular article.
Rep. Neri Colmenares said for Article VII, the prosecution will prove that "by his acts, the chief justice betrayed public trust and he cannot therefore continue to remain in pubic office."
Article VII accuses Corona of "betrayal of public trust through his partiality in granting a temporary restraining order in favor of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo in order for them to escape prosecution."
Conducting direct examination on De Lima was 76-year-old House Deputy Speaker and Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza.
Lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas stood up and objected to the statement of Colmenares, who gave the court a preview of what the prosecution will attempt to prove in Article VII.
Colmenares alleged that Corona "fed information to [SC spokesperosn] Midas Marquez that misled the public [about the temporary restraining order on Arroyo's travel]."
"I cannot, in conscience, tolerate this kind of presentation of evidence," Cuevas said. "It appears what he [Colmenares] is saying is gospel truth."
Mrs. Arroyo is now under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on charges of electoral sabotage involving the 2007 midterm elections.
Mrs. Arroyo, suffering from a bone mineral disorder, wanted to seek medical consultation and treatment abroad. However, she first had to request an allow departure order from the Department of Justice as she was — along with her husband — on the Immigration watch list.
A subject of a watch list order must first seek clearance from the government before leaving the country, while an individual with a hold departure order is automatically barred from leaving the country.
The DOJ, however, denied Mrs. Arroyo’s travel request, prompting the Arroyo couple to bring up the matter to the Supreme Court, which eventually issued a TRO on the implementation of the watch list order on the Arroyos. — KBK, GMA News
Rep. Neri Colmenares said for Article VII, the prosecution will prove that "by his acts, the chief justice betrayed public trust and he cannot therefore continue to remain in pubic office."
Article VII accuses Corona of "betrayal of public trust through his partiality in granting a temporary restraining order in favor of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo in order for them to escape prosecution."
Conducting direct examination on De Lima was 76-year-old House Deputy Speaker and Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza.
Lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas stood up and objected to the statement of Colmenares, who gave the court a preview of what the prosecution will attempt to prove in Article VII.
Colmenares alleged that Corona "fed information to [SC spokesperosn] Midas Marquez that misled the public [about the temporary restraining order on Arroyo's travel]."
"I cannot, in conscience, tolerate this kind of presentation of evidence," Cuevas said. "It appears what he [Colmenares] is saying is gospel truth."
Mrs. Arroyo is now under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on charges of electoral sabotage involving the 2007 midterm elections.
Mrs. Arroyo, suffering from a bone mineral disorder, wanted to seek medical consultation and treatment abroad. However, she first had to request an allow departure order from the Department of Justice as she was — along with her husband — on the Immigration watch list.
A subject of a watch list order must first seek clearance from the government before leaving the country, while an individual with a hold departure order is automatically barred from leaving the country.
The DOJ, however, denied Mrs. Arroyo’s travel request, prompting the Arroyo couple to bring up the matter to the Supreme Court, which eventually issued a TRO on the implementation of the watch list order on the Arroyos. — KBK, GMA News
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