Defense told to present Corona as witness, stop wasting time

By ANDREO CALONZO, GMA News

Published May 7, 2012 5:36pm

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada on Monday told the defense camp to simply present Chief Justice Corona as witness so that the impeached magistrate can directly answer the allegations against him.

“If the chief justice will appear, the impeachment court will be happy to hear his side. Kapag narinig na namin ang side niya, baka doon pa lang, makabuo na kami ng desisyon,” Estrada said shortly before the day's session ended.

Estrada stressed that Corona should not be afraid to face the impeachment court if he has nothing to hide.

But lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas told Estrada that their camp cannot be forced to present Corona as witness in his own impeachment trial.

“We cannot be bulldozed into presenting evidence. There is no jurisprudence that will give reason for compelling a party to appear in his trial,” said Cuevas, a retired former SC associate justice.

Cuevas added that the impeachment court should afford Corona his right to due process.

“He [Corona] is chief justice. We should at least give him consideration,” he said.

But Senate President Juan Ponce, presiding officer of the court, told Cuevas that the lead defense counsel should not lecture the impeachment court about due process.

“We expect you to respect our ability to appreciate the evidence presented to us… We guarantee you a fair trial,” the presiding officer said. Don't waste time of impeachment court

Earlier, Enrile told Corona’s lawyers not to waste the time of the Senate impeachment court, and to proceed directly to their clients’ defense.

He did not allow the defense to present two witnesses to give more information on the sale of a lot owned by Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. (BGEI), represented by Corona’s wife Cristina, to the Manila City government in 2001.

The Senate President said the testimonies of these witnesses are “immaterial and irrelevant” to the case.

“What we are trying to do here is clutter these proceedings with collateral, irrelevant and immaterial information. We are wasting time here,” Enrile said.

He also advised the defense to “go direct to the point” in presenting their arguments in favor of the chief magistrate.

Enrile earlier said the impeachment trial will not go beyond May 31 so that the Senate tribunal can hand down a judgment on the case against Corona before Congress adjourns on June 7. Previous appeals to Corona

Earlier, Senators Ralph Recto and Antonio Trillanes IV manifested before the impeachment court their wish to have Corona testify in the trial. Senators Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and Loren Legarda have aired the same appeal in previous media interviews.

In February, Enrile said that only Corona can explain the supposed irregularities in his bank records.

He also said that it would be in the best interest of the country if he would testify before the impeachment court.

Sen. Sergio Osmena III also said that Corona is the "best person" to explain the entries and the "leaving out" of certain items in his SALN. — with Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ/HS/YA, GMA News

Tags: coronaimpeachment, renatocorona