PHNO-HL: CORONA READY TO BARE ALL; CONVICTED OR ACQUITTED, HE ACCEPTS GOD'S WILL

CORONA READY TO BARE ALL; CONVICTED
OR ACQUITTED, HE ACCEPTS GOD'S WILL

MANILA, MAY 11, 2012
(INQUIRER) By Marlon Ramos - "He has
reached a point of no return. If he gets convicted, he would gladly accept it.
If he gets acquitted, that will be a blessing from God."
Asked if the Chief Justice was prepared to bare all and answer the
allegations thrown at him, even the rumors about his purported extramarital
affairs, Esguerra replied, "Yes."
In a meeting with his lawyers on Tuesday morning, embattled Chief Justice
Renato Corona talked about how he had decided to cross the Rubicon and testify
in his impeachment trial after an emotional meeting with his wife, Cristina, and
daughter Carla Corona-Castillo.
"The Chief Justice asked for a minute for him to talk with Carla and his
wife. We just left them in one room. After that, he met with us in a bigger
room," said Ramon Esguerra of the somber gathering in the law office of one of
the counsels.
"Before he told us of his decision, we were a little bit anxious because we
didn't know what he wanted to tell us. But our faces brightened when he finally
announced his decision," Esguerra told the Inquirer.
Carla cried, said Esguerra, "out of pity for her father."
"You have to remember that he had his (heart) bypass operation a few years
ago. He's not really in the best of health because he's regularly taking his
medication," the lawyer said.
He said Corona, 63, hoped that his appearance, principally to reply to
charges that he had $10 million in foreign currency deposits, would be a
"turning point."
"I really don't know in what way this can influence each of the senators. But
I guess the call from a number of them to take a stand was considered by the
Chief Justice," he said.
Corona, who appeared indignant during the meeting, had realized that the
accusations against him will not stop unless he speaks before the Senate
tribunal, said Esguerra.
Morales to testify
Defense lawyers during the trial on Tuesday afternoon announced that Corona
would testify if the Senate tribunal subpoenaed Ombudsman Conchita
Carpio-Morales and 11 others in connection with the purported dollar and euro
deposits. Morales said Wednesday she would testify in the hearing.
Enrile agreed to issue the subpoenas and granted a two-day break requested.
The trial, which started on Jan. 16, resumes on Monday.
The defense lawyers said the decision to testify was reached after Corona saw
copies of documents submitted to the Senate court by Harvey Keh, leader of a
good-governance advocacy group and a supporter of President Aquino. The papers
purportedly showed that Corona had amassed $10 million in his bank accounts, the
lawyers said.
Enrile factored in decision
Corona has denied the existence of the supposed accounts and was incensed
when he got hold of the Keh documents, the lawyers said.
Also a factor in the decision to testify was the hectoring the defense got on
Monday, at the resumption of the trial after a six-week break, from Senate
President Juan Ponce Enrile, said Esguerra.
Enrile scolded the lawyers for presenting what he said were witnesses whose
testimonies he considered irrelevant to the issue that Corona had fudged entries
in his statement of assets and liabilities (SALN).
Enrile wants to wrap up the proceedings by the end of the month. A two-thirds
vote, or 16, is needed to convict Corona.
Resignation reports
"We're hoping that with his decision to take the stand, the senators (who may
vote for conviction) will change their mind. I would like to think not only did
they want to hear him and share his testimony, but they want something
reasonable, plausible and believable … can form or serve as basis for their
judgment."
Esguerra played down media reports that Corona may opt to resign if the
Senate acquitted him or if he finds that the evidence against him is strong to
warrant a conviction.
He said Corona had prepared himself for the consequences should the Senate
declare him guilty of culpable violation of the Constitution.
"That has been clear to him from the very beginning," the defense lawyer
said. "He's not sure of how things would turn out. He's hoping that there will
be a fair and credible trial. He expects to have a fair judgement."
Esguerra said the defense was counting on Enrile's assurance that Corona
would be respected.
"I think … the picture will be clear when the Chief Justice takes the stand,"
he said.
Esguerra said Corona's wife feared that her husband may not be able to endure
the "very stressful situation that he finds himself in."
"On the other hand, the Chief Justice was very concerned about his loved ones
… especially his grandchildren. It's a mutual anxiety for each other," he said.

"(Corona came to) a realization that he can't allow this to go on any
further, to sacrifice the peace of his loved ones and to be further disturbed by
these vicious attacks."
The 'last straw'
Esguerra said that Keh's allegation was the "last straw."
"Everything changed when the Chief Justice learned about this new fabricated
bank documents. He was more than mad. He was fuming mad when he examined the
documents," he said.
"This is too much. This has to end," Esguerra quoted the Chief Justice as
saying.
He said Corona described as "phony" Keh's papers.
Asked if chief counsel Serafin Cuevas and the other lawyers who had opposed
Corona's taking the stand had opposed the decision to testify, Esguerra said:
"No. We saw that he realized the importance of him testifying to address the
clamor."
"He's been maimed, almost dying. But he's still being kicked endlessly by his
detractors. To him, that's the height of it all and that he must end it," he
said.
Esguerra also revealed that the defense was set to conclude its presentation
of evidence on Tuesday if Enrile prohibited them from bringing to the witness
stand the two Quezon City court officials who testified on the sale of the
Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc.
He said a lawyer-accountant, who helped Corona prepare his SALN, was supposed
to be the last defense witness.
"After what happened (on Monday), we realized that it was the end for us. We
need to conclude sooner or later. So we realized that we should confront the
issues and try not to dodge them anymore," he said.
Defense last card: Corona on witness stand By
Michael Lim Ubac Philippine Daily Inquirer 12:39 am | Thursday, May 10th
On Monday, when the impeachment trial resumed after a six-week Lenten
break, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (photo at left) was visibly
irked when chief defense counsel Serafin Cuevas (photo at right) raised
the issue for the nth time that Chief Justice Renato Corona had so far been
deprived of due process.
He told Cuevas that if he did not think that the prosecution has a solid case
then "you have a problem."
Finally agreeing to present the Chief Justice could be the defense panel's
last card, as the Inquirer learned that senators' verdict would hinge on his
testimony.
Several senator-judges, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the
sensitivity of the matter, told the Inquirer that even their colleagues who were
sympathetic to the Chief Justice's plight were disappointed with the defense
panel's strategy to present just about any witness it could get its hands on.

"What we want to hear is the Chief Justice himself," said one senator-judge,
adding: "Calling to the stand officials dealing with collection of fees, the
sheriff … does not look good on their part."
Sen. Francis Pangilinan said that he thought the defense had "come to realize
that to ignore the public clamor as well as the clamor of senator-judges for the
Chief Justice to appear and explain his side as he had earlier promised would be
detrimental to their case."
"The senator-judges have time and again said that there are many questions
that continue to remain unanswered, particularly on the issue of his dollar
accounts that only the Chief Justice can and ought to explain."
Dramatic turn
The defense bombshell that Corona would appear in his impeachment trial was a
dramatic 180-degree turn, according to the prosecution.
"They've finally realized what we and the rest of the country have long
known: the prosecution has prepared substantial evidence and that if the Chief
Justice has any chance of acquittal, he must show up," said Rep. Romero Quimbo,
a prosecution spokesperson.
"We can only surmise that the defense change of heart … was prompted by the
public clamor for him to come clean and testify, coupled with the pronouncements
of senators echoing such clamor. We are hoping that defense offer for the Chief
Justice to testify is unconditional and without any limitations," said Rep. Juan
Edgardo Angara, another prosecution spokesperson.
Said defense lawyer Tranquil Salvador, "It's really facing the legal and
propaganda issues at the same time. I think that is [Corona's] sentiment."
Salvador denied that the defense panel's move was prompted by criticism from
Enrile and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada that the witnesses they had called on Monday
testified on "collateral, irrelevant and immaterial" issues which only tended to
"clutter" and "prolong" the trial.
"To us what happened on Monday was a reflection that what is circulated out
of court is as relevant as what was happening in the impeachment court,"
Salvador explained.
Public arena
Salvador, in effect, observed that the media blitz carried out by the Chief
Justice himself in the early days of the trial to bring his case directly to the
people had not achieved its desired results.
"We also felt that any denial—even [on] non-issues in the case (raised in the
public arena)—can be considered unless made before the impeachment court," he
said.
Cuevas had told Enrile that he did not agree with him that the testimonies of
the witnesses they had called on Monday were irrelevant, pointing out that they
were simply refuting allegations of the prosecution that had to be countered
with detailed evidence.
He decried that Corona had so far been deprived of due process and indicated
that by Enrile's directive to put in writing or submit documentation
stipulations of fact they were not being given a chance to ventilate the issues
brought before the court by the prosecutors and the public by their
spokespersons.
To which Enrile responded, apparently stung, that he had in fact nixed a
prosecution move to stop a defense move to put back on the witness stand Justice
Secretary Leila de Lima.
At every opportunity during the trial, Cuevas had been raising the issue of
the noncompliance to constitutional strictures by the allies of President Aquino
in the House of Representatives, who hastily impeached Corona.
He has said that the articles of impeachment—later reduced from eight to
three— were defective.
The main case against Corona now was that he fudged entries in his statements
of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
From 45 properties the prosecution had accused Corona earlier of amassing,
the number is now down to five or six.
Truth will come out
Said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda: "The truth will come out one
way or the other. We have always maintained that the only person who can testify
to the truthfulness of the SALN, to the truthfulness of all his assets would be
the Chief Justice."
Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo yesterday said "it was good" that Corona would
testify. "People can now hear his side of the story."
"That is a very good development so that he can explain his ill-gotten wealth
and can be cross-examined," Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes told reporters
yesterday.
"It's the right of the accused to be heard," said Marbel Bishop Dinualdo
Gutierrez.
"Personally, I welcome that decision … we will watch what will come up [from
his testimony]," said Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez. With reports from Joceyln R. Uy, Norman Bordadora and Gil
Cabacungan



Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi

© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved





PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet

This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.

To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/

(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/