by ANDREO C. CALONZO, GMA NEWS
Embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona on Tuesday dared Senator Franklin Drilon and members of the House of Representatives to open up their bank accounts to public scrutiny, but no one is biting.
Drilon, who sits as senator-judge in Corona’s impeachment trial, said he “will not fall into his [the chief justice’s] trap.”
“We are not the ones on trial. We are not the ones being tried at the impeachment court,” the senator said in a statement on Tuesday night.
“I will not go down to his [Corona’s] level. He is pathetic!” he added.
During his testimony, Chief Justice Renato Corona signed what he claimed was a waiver allowing authorities to make public his peso and dollar accounts. He said, however, that he will only submit the waiver if Drilon, along with all 188 signatories to his impeachment complaint, will sign similar documents.
Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III, prosecution spokesman, meanwhile said that the members of the panel also do not see the need to waive the confidentiality of their bank accounts.
“Bakit kami ‘yung huhusgahan? Kung may kaso laban sa amin, then we will consider signing a waiver, but at this point, we don’t see any need,” he said in a press briefing.
He added that the Office of the Ombudsman can very well look into House members’ bank deposits if complaints are filed against them, since their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth authorizes the office to scrutinize their accounts. —VS, GMA News
Embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona on Tuesday dared Senator Franklin Drilon and members of the House of Representatives to open up their bank accounts to public scrutiny, but no one is biting.
Drilon, who sits as senator-judge in Corona’s impeachment trial, said he “will not fall into his [the chief justice’s] trap.”
“We are not the ones on trial. We are not the ones being tried at the impeachment court,” the senator said in a statement on Tuesday night.
“I will not go down to his [Corona’s] level. He is pathetic!” he added.
During his testimony, Chief Justice Renato Corona signed what he claimed was a waiver allowing authorities to make public his peso and dollar accounts. He said, however, that he will only submit the waiver if Drilon, along with all 188 signatories to his impeachment complaint, will sign similar documents.
Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III, prosecution spokesman, meanwhile said that the members of the panel also do not see the need to waive the confidentiality of their bank accounts.
“Bakit kami ‘yung huhusgahan? Kung may kaso laban sa amin, then we will consider signing a waiver, but at this point, we don’t see any need,” he said in a press briefing.
He added that the Office of the Ombudsman can very well look into House members’ bank deposits if complaints are filed against them, since their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth authorizes the office to scrutinize their accounts. —VS, GMA News
