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Senate allows private lawyers to assist House impeachment prosecutors
The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, refused the petition of the defense counsels of Chief Justice Renato Corona not to allow private lawyers to assist the House prosecution panel. “With due respect to the Defense, the chair rules that the request (not to allow private prosecutors in the prosecution team) is not in order because the rules of the House allows the presence of a private prosecutor to assist the panel of prosecutors designated by the House of Representatives. It is a matter of rule and precedence,” said Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Chief Presiding Officer of the Senate impeachment trial. The ruling allows the following trial lawyers to assist the House panel in the impeachment proceedings:
- Mario Bautista,
- Arthur Lim,
- Clarence Jandoc,
- Ernesto Viovicente,
- Frederick Vallestero, and
- Winston Ginez
On Tuesday, in a six-page motion, Corona's legal counsel Jose Roy III said the Senate should not allow private lawyers to join the House prosecution because there is "no compelling justification" for the move.
"There appears no sound basis for the House of Representatives to employ the services of a private prosecutor in the impeachment trial of CJ (Chief Justice) Corona," Roy said.
Roy cited the rules of procedure in impeachment proceedings promulgated by the House of Representatives, which prohibits the employment of a private prosecutor.
According to Rule VI, Section 15 of the rules of procedure, "the House of Representatives shall act as the sole prosecutor at the trial in the Senate through a committee of 11 members to be elected by majority vote."
"Rule VI...rests on good and sound reasons: that the decision to pursue the impeachment of an official must be based entirely on the promotion of public good," Roy said. - Rouchelle Dinglasan & Kim Tan/VVP/YA, GMA News
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