Senators take turns berating civil society leader Harvey Keh at Corona trial

By Mark Merueñas, GMA News

Published May 16, 2012 4:00pm

(UPDATED 5:00 p.m.) Civil society leader Harvey Keh was declared a "hostile witness" by the Corona defense team, but it was senators who were hostile to Keh as they took turns scolding him for submitting unverified documents to the Senate. Senator Miriam Santiago raised her voice once again, verging on yelling, as her temper exploded at Keh and warned him that he was "in jeopardy of being charged criminally" for trying to influence the Senators. Senate President and the trial's presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile repeatedly said he was insulted by Keh's appearance at his office on May 7 bearing the documents with a TV crew in tow.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada called Keh a liar. Keh is the convenor of the "Kaya Natin Movement," a group that promotes good governance and ethical leadership which was allied with then-candidate Noynoy Aquino in the 2010 elections. Keh was one of those who filed complaints against Corona at the Office of the Ombudsman, credited with Corona's decision to finally testify on May 22.

Enrile asked why Keh delivered the documents to his office. "Why me instead of the Ombudsman?"

"I just felt the Senate would be in the best position to evaluate this document and see if it can be used or not," Keh replied, visibly flustered by the tirade. "Because of this I am ordering you to show cause why you should not be cited for contempt," Enrile said, pointing a finger at Keh. Estrada's turn "Mayroon ka bang tinawagang broadsheet para masira itong si Chief Justice?" Estrada asked.

Estrada also questioned the "mysterious documents" that Keh earlier personally delivered to the Senate as evidence against Corona. The documents pertained to euro and dollar acocunts purportedly owned by the chief justice.

Keh said he could no longer remember the names of the journalists he informed about the mysterious documents that were allegedly given to his group and left outside their office in Quezon City.

However, Keh said he remembered talking to Malaya publisher Jake Macasaet.

When Estrada pressed Keh further, Keh named Tina Dumlao of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

"Are you up for publicity?... You admit calling reporters. You are trying to sell these unauthenticated documents," said Estrada.

"Sinungaling ka," the lawmaker told Keh before leaving the podium. Miriam blows top Senator Santiago, known for her tempestuous questioning during the trial, also criticized Keh for filing a complaint against Corona based on documents from an anonymous source. "Who is Mr. Anonymous? I would like to ask the PNP (Philippine National Police) and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) to issue an arrest warrant," Santiago told Keh.

"The requirement [of becoming a witness] is that you must be an eye, ear witness or whatever sense was triggered by events happening before you," Santiago said.

"What kind of good governance are you trying to promote? You are acting on anonymous sources," Santiago said. "For a head of something that promotes good governance, you didn't even bother to examine for yourself, using your own brains, whether this is fair or not," she added. Defense lawyer Dennis Manalo, who examined Keh, appeared gentle compared to the senators. Enrile was as annoyed as he's ever been in the three-month-old trial.

"Why did you bring it to me, instead of Ombudsman? And you were accompanied by TV crew and it was publicized," Enrile told Keh. "You are trying to influence this court. I felt insulted and offended," Enrile added. - VVP/HS, GMA News

Tags: estrada, jinggoy, jinggoyestrada, coronaimpeachment, harveykeh