CONNECTION / HOUSE URGED 'PLAY BY THE RULES'
MANILA, FEBRUARY 16, 2012
(ABS-CBN) by Jojo Malig, ABS-CBNnews.com - Do impeachment chief
prosecutor Niel Tupas and Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) Katipunan branch
manager Anabelle Tiongson know each other?
The question is on the mind of Senator-judge Jinggoy Estrada, who
vowed on Tuesday "to get to the bottom" of the issue regarding alleged leakage
of a confidential bank document on the alleged dollar accounts of Chief Justice
Renato Corona.
"Yesterday, I heard Mrs. Tiongson say that she does not know Congressman
Tupas," Estrada told ANC after Tuesday's hearing in the Senate.
"I received some information that they both know each other. I'll ask these
questions tomorrow," he said.
Estrada said Tiongson was nervous when she declared on Monday that the bank
document containing information on Corona's alleged dollar accounts is "fake."
[PHOTO - PSBank MANAGER ANNABELLE TIOGSON]
He wants the PSBank manager to return to the witness stand on Wednesday to
clarify the issue.
"In my own opinion, iyung sinabi niyang it was fake, she was really very
nervous at the time. She kept on smiling, she didn't know what to say. She was
always asking her counsel about what to answer," he said.
He added that Tingson and the PSBank President Pascual Garcia III gave
contradicting statements to the impeachment court.
"Nagtuturuan kasi iyung dalawa (bank president and manager). Ang sabi ng bank
manager, finorward na nila sa head office. Iyung head office naman, nung
tinanong siya, tinanong din ni Senate President Enrile at sinagot din ng bank
presidente na iyung original, nandoon sa branch," he said.
"Dapat talaga, ipa-subpoena iyung original documents," Estrada added.
'Poor script'
He downplayed prosecution panel member Rep. Reynaldo Umali's statement that
he got the bank document from a "little lady."
"Alam mo, that is a very, very poor script. Kumbaga sa pelikula, hindi kikita
iyon," he said, adding that the public won't believe Umali's story on the
"little lady."
"What I want to know is, if the bank manager or even members of the
prosecution violated RA 1405 in leaking the supposedly confidential documents,"
he added. "I'll get to the bottom of this."
"I am more concerned about the leakage of these confidential documents. We
have to protect the clients of the bank," he said, citing "massive withdrawals"
from bank accounts during the impeachment trial of his father, former President
Joseph Estrada.
"Sa akin, mahalaga kung paano na-obtain itong mga dokumentong ito. That piece
of document was attached by the prosecution in a piece of supplemental request
for a subpoena. That was the sole basis for them to summon the bank accounts of
Chief Justice Corona," he said.
He added that the prosecution should have made sure that it presented an
authentic document.
"That is supposed to be their (prosecution) look-out, not us," he said. "The
burden of proof should lie on them. Dapat, sila ang magbigay ng ebidensiya sa
amin, for us to appreciate it. Kami po ang maghuhusga at the end of the day."
"Sila ang magpiprisinta ng ebidensiya, hindi kami ang maghahanaop ng
ebidensiya para sa kanila," he added.
Estrada, meanwhile, said it will be up to the other senators to decide if
Corona's lawyers themselves will be cited for contempt for their claim that the
Palace tried to bribe the senator-judges to defy the Supreme Court's temporary
restraining order (TRO) on the Senate's subpoenas for Corona's dollar accounts
at PSBank.
"I've already said my piece lambasting the members of the defense panel. It's
up to the other senators if they want to reprimand or cite them for contempt,"
he said.
FROM THE INQUIRER
Defense urges prosecution to 'play by the rules'
By Tetch Torres INQUIRER.net 2:35 pm | Wednesday, February 15th, 2012
MANILA, Philippines – "Play by the rules," a lawyer for Chief Justice Renato
Corona said Wednesday after questions were raised on the authenticity of the
documents presented by the prosecution on Corona's dollar accounts.
Annabelle Tiongson, Philippine Savings Bank (PS Bank)
Katipunan branch manager, testified on Monday that the documents attached by the
prosecution in its supplemental request for subpoena were "fake".
"It is a timely reminder to both parties to remain abiding to our oath as
lawyers and officers of the court that we should not foist any falsehood upon
the court, wittingly or recklessly," former Justice Undersecretary Ramon
Esguerra said in a text message.
"In a manner of speaking, we must play by the rules of the game on the basis
of what is true, fair and just," Esguerra said.
The photocopy of the PS Bank documents in the name of Corona that were
allegedly handed to Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali had come
under question after both PS Bank president Pascual Garcia III and PS Bank
Tiongson testified that it had not come from their bank.
Umali said the document was handed to him by a "small lady" while he was at
the Senate secretariat. However, no "small lady" was seen on CCTV. Tiongson, in
her testimony before the Impeachment court, said the document was different from
what they have in their possession.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
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PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
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