Lacson wants Corona lawyers cited for contempt

(Updated 12:38 p.m.) Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday said he will move to have the defense panel cited for contempt for saying that some senator-judges were allegedly offered P100 million in exchange for defying the Supreme Court (SC) order stopping the impeacment court from examining Chief Justice Renato Corona's dollar accounts. 

 

"Pag-uusapan namin sa caucus but I will suggest that (they [defense panel] be cited for contempt)," Lacson said during a chance interview with reporters.

 

No other senators were available for comment as of posting time as they were currently in caucus. For their part, the defense team said: "The defense team is ready to face the consequences of their statements," Karen Jimeno, defense spokseperson, told GMA News Online via text.

 

On Sunday, the defense team accused Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. of urging senator-judges not to honor the SC order stopping them from examining the dollar accounts. 

 

Jose Roy, one of the defense lawyers, said Malacañang is even allotting P100 million for the "soft" projects of each senator-judge from the government's savings. Ochoa has denied the accusation.

Lacson said they have yet to discuss the allegation but that in his opinion, the allegation is contemptuous.

 

"Kung ang purpose eh i-preempt yung mga senador kasi magbobotohan kami sa caucus kung susundin ba namin o magcocomply kami sa TRO o hindi then that's their way of preempting the senators then that's contemptuous," he said.

 

"Talagang offending yun sa mga senador...para bang we're a bunch of people for sale na idadangle na P100 million at gawa nun magpapalit yung aming position whether or not we defy the TRO," he added. Disclose identity of 'source'

 

Aside from being cited for contempt, Lacson said the defense panel should be made to name their source and the other details of the alleged offer.

 

"I will insist that they name their source or sources and they should name the senators concerned in fairness to those na alam naming hindi kasama doon sa ganung usapan," he said.

 

"We can force them under pain of being cited for contempt that's really contemptuous sa impeachment court," he added.

 

In a text message to reporters on Monday, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago also denied the alleged P100 million offer.

 

"I have not been contacted, much less offered, P100 million or any other amount in connection with the impeachment trial," she said.

 

In an interview aired over GMA News TV's "News To Go," Sen. Francis Escudero likewise denied that he was approached by Ochoa.

 

"Hindi totoo yan. In fact, magkaibigan kami ni Executive Sec. Ochoa, ni Jojo, at nagkikita kami. Nitong nakaraang linggo nagkita kami dalawang beses pero walang ganoong uri ng alok," Escudero said during an interview with GMA News Online editor-in-chief and News To Go anchor Howie Severino.

 

"I'm being very candid and frank about it, and the reason is there is nothing to hide. I think Jojo Ochoa respects me enough not to make any such offers, either to me or to other senators he respects equally and I respect him enough too," he added.

 

In fact, Escudero said Ochoa knows and respects that he was in favor of following the SC TRO.

 

"Para sa akin, bilang abogado, dapat galangin yung TRO na yun bagaman hindi ako sang-ayon sa TRO at bagaman gusto kong ilaban ng senado yung inissue naming subpoena.  Habang may TRO dapat galangin namin yun," he said.

 

In a four-page manifestation, Santiago also said she will vote to obey the high tribunal's TRO, citing six grounds.

 

She cited the following: last clear doctrine; judicial power includes both justiciable questions and political questions; the impeachment court is not allowed to authorize to violate the law; the theory of checks and balances prohibits this impeachment court from claiming and exception for itself; disobedience to the TRO violates the defendant's human rights; and in at least two previous cases, the SC rules that it has power of judicial review over impeachment cases.

 

"These six grounds are based on the ideology that the impeachment court is not almight, not absolute, not illimitable, and nor more supreme that the Supreme Court," she said. — with Rouchelle Dinglasan/RSJ, GMA News