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Miriam: Learn from Erap trial and let public see evidence


Senator-judge Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Tuesday asked the Senate sitting as an impeachment court to be more liberal about accepting pieces of evidence against Chief Justice Renato Corona to let the public know the truth regarding the charges against the chief magistrate.
 
Speaking before the impeachment court for the first time, Santiago urged the other senator-judges to recall what happened during the aborted impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada 11 years ago in deciding how to deal with evidence in Corona’s trial.
 
“If there is doubt, admit the evidence. That is what the people ruled during the Estrada impeachment trial,” she said during Tuesday's lackluster proceedings. Santiago made the remarks as the defense panel sought to stop the admission of evidence that would pin down Corona for his alleged failure to publicly disclose his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and for supposedly amassing "ill-gotten wealth" during his tenure at the Supreme Court. His SALNs and titles to various properties in Metro Manila were eventually unearthed during the trial last week. Appointed by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Chief Justice just a few weeks before she stepped down from office, is facing charges of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust in the impeachment court. He was impeached by the House of Representatives last month. "Demonized" As the trial entered its second week, Santiago reminded the impeachment court that the televised proceedings might give the public an impression that it is trying to hide something on Corona’s assets, like what happened when 11 senators voted not to open what she described as the “notorious” second envelope during the Estrada trial.
 
“At that time, I wanted to apply the rules of court technically… Since there is no allegation of wrongdoing in connection with the notorious second envelope, I voted that we should not open the second envelope until and after the complaint had already been amended,” she said.
 
“I was among those demonized because I voted against the opening of the second envelope dahil ang paniwala ng taong bayan, kung ayaw namin buksan ang second envelope na ‘yan, may tinatago kami,” she added. Estrada and Arroyo In January 2001, the prosecutors walked out after the senator-judges voted not to open the second envelope suspected to contain evidence against Estrada.  It was later revealed that the second envelope contained bank documents of a certain “Jose Velarde,” and a letter from Jaime Dichaves stating that “all bank transactions of Jose Velarde shall be coursed” through him. The incident triggered EDSA Dos in January 2001 that forced Estrada to leave Malacañang after the Armed Forces leadership withdrew its support from him. The ouster of Estrada allowed then-Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to take over the presidency. He was later arrested for corruption charges. Estrada was convicted of plunder in 2007, but he was pardoned by Mrs. Arroyo in the same year. He lost to President Benigno Aquino III in the 2010 elections. Mrs. Arroyo herself was arrested for electoral sabotage charges last year and is currently under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City. She is facing separate complaints for plunder before the Sandiganbayan. — Andreo Calonzo/RSJ/YA, GMA News   
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