Chief Justice on Trial

Enrile: Corona impeachment trial won't go beyond May 31

KIMBERLY JANE TAN and ANDREO CALONZO, GMA NewsMay 7, 2012 3:10pm

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday said the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona will not last beyond May 31.

"Gusto namin matapos ito. We will not go beyond the 31st of May," Enrile told reporters after a caucus before the resumption of the impeachment trial on Monday.

The Senate will go on break on June 8 and will resume session on July 22.

However, Enrile said they have yet to decide on the proposal to extend the trial until 10:00 p.m.

The trial is conducted from Mondays to Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. depending on the senators as well as the prosecution and defense camps.

"We will prolong the hearing as long as the stamina of both panels will be able to sustain it," he said.

"Kung hindi nila kaya ay sabihin nila sa amin pero ako, kaya ko. I’m really trying to finish this case because I’m rushing it but the country requires that we must settle this case one way or the other," he added.

Authority to set deadline

Earlier on Monday, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said the Senate has the authority to set the deadline for the presentation of evidence in the impeachment trial.

"I submit that this impeachment court, after nearly five months, possesses authority to order conclusion of trial on or before June 7,” Santiago said.

Santiago cited several rules of court to support her claim that the impeachment tribunal has the power to determine whether enough pieces of evidence have already been presented by both parties.

Santiago also noted how the impeachment trial of former United States President Bill Clinton in less than two months: from December 19, 1998 to February 12, 1999.

'Irrelevant'

Meanwhile, Santiago also manifested that pieces of evidence related to alleged irregularities in the sale of lot owned by Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. (BGEI), represented by Corona’s wife Cristina, are “irrelevant” to the trial.

She said these pieces of evidence should instead be submitted to the solicitor-general and not to the impeachment court, since they are not related to allegations that Corona concealed certain information in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth.

Former Manila mayor Lito Atienza, who transacted with Mrs. Corona on the sale of the BGEI lot, has already been called back to the witness stand for cross-examination.

Last March, Atienza told the impeachment court that in 2001, the BGEI authorized Mrs. Corona to sell one of their properties to the Manila City government for P34 million, which the defense claimed to have been deposited to the chief justice’ bank account.

A few days after Atienza’s testimony, however, the office of the Manila city auditor issued a notice disallowing the payment of P34.7 million to BGEI for the parcel of land, citing non-compliance and non-submission of certain requirements. - VVP, GMA News