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A private prosecutor in the impeachment proceedings of Chief Justice Renato Corona on Friday tweeted that his "vested interest" lies in the protection of the people, nothing else.

 

"Supreme Court ruled that impeachment is primarily 4 d protection of d people, not 4 d punishment of d official. That's my vested interest," said lawyer Marlon Manuel on his Twitter account (@MarlonJManuel).

 

On Thursday, Sen. Joker Arroyo accused him of having a "vested interest" other than the impeachment case against the chief magistrate since he is a lawyer of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA).

 

Manuel was in charge of arguing the case for Article III of the impeachment complaint against Corona, which accuses the chief justice of flip-flopping in a ruling on a labor case filed by the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) against PAL.

 

He noted that FASAP and PALEA are two different labor groups.

 

But the senator-judge insisted that Manuel can access evidence against PAL. "Manuel's position [in the impeachment trial] is hostile to PAL whatever the case," said Arroyo.

 

"I am the lawyer of PALEA, and proud of it. Not all lawyers can be as proud of their clients," Manuel said.

 

Earlier nominated to become Ombudsman, a post that went to former Supreme Court Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, Manuel is executive director of the Ateneo Alternative Law Groups and teaches law at the Ateneo Law School and the University of Santo Tomas. 

 

Manuel was supposed to conduct a direct examination of prosecution witness and PAL vice president for sales Enrique Javier but the Senate impeachment court ruled against the airline executive’s testimony for not having any connection to any of the eight articles of impeachment against Corona. — VS, GMA News