IMPEACH TRIAL RESUMES: ENRILE EYES
MARATHON CJ IMPEACH HEARINGS
MANILA, MAY 8, 2012
(PHILSTAR) By Christina Mendez - Senate
President Juan Ponce Enrile wants the Senate to wrap up impeachment proceedings
against Chief Justice Renato Corona by month's end.
Enrile said he would make the recommendation to the defense and prosecution
panels as the trial resumes today at the Senate impeachment court after a
six-week recess.
He said the Senate could start the hearings at 2 p.m. instead of 3 p.m. and
extend further to 10 p.m. to ensure that the Chief Justice's camp is given
sufficient time to finish presentation of evidence by the end of May and ensure
that a verdict can be reached before Congress adjourns on June 7.
The new schedule would also cover the time needed by members of the House of
Representatives' prosecution panel in case they want to rebut the arguments of
the defense.
"They should be ready. I won't be allowing any delays or drivel on this. I
said that we will wrap up before the end of the month. That's how many trial
days? That's 16 trial days. The defense said they are presenting about five to
10 witnesses. So I guess they can do that (within that timeframe)," Enrile said
in a radio interview yesterday.
Defense spokesman Tranquil Salvador III said there is no need to extend trial
hours beyond 7 p.m. because "it will be very taxing even to the senator-judges."
Emerging from the full defense team meeting with the Chief Justice yesterday,
Salvador said the defense would also want to wrap up presentation in the next
two weeks.
"There is no need to worry because we are expediting the process," he told
The STAR.
The defense team will be presenting witnesses in relation to the Chief
Justice's properties, while former Manila mayor Lito Atienza will return to the
witness stand to further shed light on the P34-million check issued in trust to
Mrs. Cristina Corona by the Manila government for the expropriations of the
property of Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc (BGEI).
Enrile said it is up to the prosecution panel if they want to submit rebuttal
evidence but as far as he is concerned, "we will cover all within the month."
Contrary to his earlier pronouncements that Corona should testify before the
court, Enrile said he will leave it to the chief magistrate and his camp if he
will still be allowed to personally testify in the coming weeks.
Subpoena compels De Lima to testify anew
Meanwhile, Enrile said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima will have to appear
before the Senate impeachment court because there is a subpoena issued against
her.
In her first appearance, De Lima was subjected to cross-examination by the
defense. Today she will be presented as a hostile witness.
Defense lawyers want to squeeze details from De Lima on why her department
failed to file any criminal charges against former President Arroyo two years
after President Aquino assumed office.
Defense lawyer Rico Paolo Quicho said that had the government filed the
necessary charges, Mrs. Arroyo would have not gone to the Supreme Court seeking
a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the DOJ's order banning her and her
husband Mike from leaving abroad.
Two-pronged probe
On Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales' move to probe Corona's alleged
$10-million bank accounts, Enrile said he sees nothing wrong with this.
He noted that the impeachment court is focused on the removal of Corona from
office, while the Ombudsman pursues the filing of charges against government
officials, including impeachable officials who violated the law.
Another defense lawyer, Ramon Esguerra however argued that under Republic Act
6770 or the Ombudsman Code, the ombudsman has no disciplinary authority over
impeachable officers.
"How can the Ombudsman then still conduct investigation when the Chief
Justice is already being tried after being impeached?" Esguerra said.
He said Corona is still being tried and there is no conviction yet to warrant
any action on forfeiture or graft.
"The Ombudsman is acting without or in excess of jurisdiction or at least by
reason of grave abuse of discretion," the lawyer added.
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/
PH Headline News Online. Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved