THROUGH SURVEYS, SAYS SENATORS
[PHOTO
- Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile . INQUIRER FILE
PHOTO]
MANILA,
MARCH 22, 2012 (INQUIRER) By
Maila Ager - Three senators shrugged off on Tuesday the latest survey by Pulse
Asia showing that almost half of the Filipino people found Chief Justice Renato
Corona guilty of the impeachment case filed against him.
Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile . JUNNY ROY / SENATE POOL "Ako ang
titingnan ko diyan e iyong ebidenysa," Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile said
when sought to react to the survey.
"E kung survey ang gagamitn natin (If we are going to use the surveys) to
convict or not to convict a person charged in our court, then we don't need the
court. All we have to do is to conduct surveys whenever somebody is charged,"
Enrile said.
The Senate leader, who presides over the impeachment trial of Corona,
stressed he would not be pressured by the survey.
"Wala (Nothing). I will decide it according to the evidence, then nothing
more," he added.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III said he would focus on what
is happening inside the impeachment court rather than be affected by survey
results.
A senator-judge like him, Sotto said, would only be pressured by the survey
if they pay attention to it.
"Kaya nga ang sabi ko dapat huwag mong intindihin ang mga ganyan (That's why
I said, you should ignore those things)," he said.
Asked if public opinion does not matter then, Sotto said, "As far as the
procedures in the court are concerned, I don't think so."
"Kasi iba ang sinasabi sa publiko ng kahit sino, hindi under oath. Madaling
magsalita at mag-imbento kapag hindi under oath. Kaya mas mabuting makinig dito
sa impeachment court, kung ano ang kalalabasan, iyon dapat ang basis ng decision
ng isang senator-judge (Because what a person says in public is different under
oath. It's easy to speak and make stories if they are not under oath. That's
why, it's better to listen to the impeachment court and whatever transpires here
should be the basis of decision of a senator-judge," he pointed out.
"I try my best, I do my best to confine myself with what is transpiring in
the impeachment court," Sotto added.
Senator Gregorio Honasan aired the same view, saying, "The culpability of the
accused, Chief Justice, will not be determined by surveys or by public opinion."
"It will be decided by the senator judges individually and collectively,"
Honasan said.
Asked if he would be pressured by the results of the survey, Honasan said,
"Hindi (no)."
In the survey conducted from February 26, 2012, to March 9, 2012, 47 percent
of 1,200 respondents found Corona guilty, 43 percent could not say whether
Corona is guilty or not, and 5 percent said he is innocent of the charges filed
against him.
FROM PHILSTAR
Cuevas absent for 1st time By Alexis Romero (The
Philippine Star) Updated March 20, 2012 12:00 AM
[PHOTO -Lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas]
MANILA, Philippines - Lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas was absent
yesterday at the trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, the first time he failed
to attend the proceedings at the Senate impeachment court.
During the start of yesterday's hearing, the defense panel said Cuevas was
ill and could not appear before the impeachment court.
"We apologize, your honor. Our chief defense counsel is presently ill and
indisposed. In the meantime, I will act as lead counsel of defense," lawyer Joel
Bodegon told presiding officer Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
Tranquil Salvador III, spokesman for the defense, said Cuevas was suffering
from vertigo that causes headache and dizziness.
Defense spokesperson Karen Jimeno said it was "unusual" for Cuevas to skip
hearings.
"He always comes here. It is really unusual that he is not here. If he is
really not feeling well, that would make him decide not to attend (the
proceedings)," Jimeno said.
The defense panel could not tell if Cuevas would show up in today's hearing.
"We hope by tomorrow, his condition will have improved," defense lawyer Rico
Quicho said.
Salvador said Cuevas serves as the "energizer" of members of the Corona
defense team.
"Every time he (Cuevas) arrives, we shake hands with him. He is our
energizer," he said.
Prior to yesterday's hearing, however, Cuevas was always present during
proceedings. Some commentators even wondered how the 83-year-old lawyer could
still withstand such a long trial.
There was one instance though when Cuevas arrived late at the impeachment
trial.
Cuevas and other defense lawyers arrived late at the impeachment proceedings
last Feb. 28 after they were caught in a traffic jam caused by a prayer rally of
the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, Manila.
Cuevas, a retired Supreme Court associate justice, is a member of the INC.
Despite Cuevas' absence, the defense team presented witnesses to debunk
Article 2 of the impeachment complaint, which accuses Corona of failing to
disclose publicly his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.
The defense panel hopes that Corona's wife Cristina will be respected once
she testifies before the impeachment court.
Salvador said every witness has reservations about facing a trial and that
all counsels do not want to see their clients embarrassed.
"Senate President (Juan Ponce) Enrile had said he would not allow the Chief
Justice to be embarrassed. We hope the same is true for Mrs. Corona. We don't
want to see her cry while on the witness stand," Salvador said.
"All of us do not want to see our mothers cry," he added.
The defense panel could not tell when Mrs. Corona would take the witness
stand.
"We have a line-up of witnesses. We are adopting a systematic approach. As to
the presentation of Mrs. Corona, we'll see when we need to do that. It will
depend on how the trial will run," said Jimeno.
"She (Mrs. Corona) did not tell exactly how she feels. But we can feel it
every time she talks to us. For every witness, that is a reservation. Once you
sit there (in the witness stand) you are on our own," he said.
Salvador said such concern is natural for witnesses who are about to testify.
Earlier, the defense panel said it would present Mrs. Corona before the
impeachment court to disprove claims that the Chief Justice violated public
trust and the Constitution for failing to disclose some properties in his
statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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