by ANDREO C. CALONZO AND KIMBERLY JANE TAN, GMA NEWS
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Tuesday warned lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas that Chief Justice Renato Corona must return to the impeachment court on Wednesday or else the case would be deemed submitted for resolution.
Enrile, who presides over the trial, told lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas that Corona’s testimony will be stricken off the record if the chief justice will not subject himself to cross-examination on Wednesday.
"We allowed him to narrate his defense. If he does not want to be cross-examined, I will order the striking out of his testimony. We will decide the case based on evidence on record," Enrile said.
“I am telling you, we will give him until tomorrow to return. If he will not return for cross we will consider this case submitted for resolution,” the Senate President told Cuevas.
Flustered but trying to keep his composure after the unexpected walkout of his client, Cuevas heeded the presiding officer, saying he will take it as his personal responsibility to bring his client back to the witness stand.
All the while a disheveled chief justice, who returned to the impeachment court in a wheelchair after walking out at the end of his opening statement, seemed oblivious to the proceedings. He did not utter a word as Enrile scolded and warned Cuevas about the consequences of Corona's actions.
“I am not going to allow any slight or abuse of authority for this court for as long as I am the presiding officer,” said Enrile.
Corona had capped his lengthy statement by saying, "And now, the chief justice of the Republic of the Philippines wishes to be excused," before abruptly rising from his seat and briskly walking out of the Senate session hall. He did not wait for the presiding officer to dismiss him, as required during the impeachment trial.
Before concluding his statement, the chief magistrate signed what he claimed was a waiver authorizing the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Land Registration Authority to disclose to the public all information on his assets, business and financial interest, including those of his spouse.
However, Corona said he would only release the waiver if Senator-judge Franklin Drilon and the 188 congressmen who signed the impeachment complaint against him would do the same.
The Senate sergeant-at-arms tried to stop Corona as he was walking out of the impeachment court after he finished his testimony. Defense lawyers said he was taking medication for “dizziness.”
‘No intention to degrade court’
Cuevas apologized for his client’s actions, saying there “was no such plan” for the chief justice to walk out of the impeachment proceedings.
“I would like to assure the court there was no intention to degrade the court… Humihingi po kami ng kapatawaran at pang-unawa,” the lead defense counsel said.
He added that Corona left the session hall because he was “suffering from chest pains, difficulty in breathing and dizziness.”
The defense also claimed that Corona was suffering from hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.
However, Enrile said Corona, as the chief justice, “knows the decorum in court very well” and could have waited to be excused by the Senate impeachment court.
“Kami naman dito pinakita namin na nirerespeto namin siya,” the Senate President said. “Nirerespeto namin ang Korte Suprema. Marami sa akin pumupuna dahil hinayaan kong magsalita nang pagkahaba-haba.”
'I am innocent'
Before walking out of the proceedings, Corona said he did not steal anything from government.
"Ako ay tumitindig sa inyo at sa mga Pilipino nang walang takot at nerbyos dahil siguradung-sigurado po ako, wala akong kasalanan, wala akong ginawang katiwalian at ako ay hindi nagnakaw sa gobyerno," he said.
None of his family's wealth was acquired illegally, as alleged by the prosecution, adding that their wealth came from hard-earned money, the embattled chief justice claimed.
He said that their money came from his family's investments in foreign exchange.
“Wala kaming hilig mag-invest sa properties. Ini-invest namin ang aming resources sa foreign exchange,” he said.
Corona claimed he declared everything in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN). "Wala po akong tinago na ari-arian na 'di ko nilagay sa aking SALN," he said.
‘Malicious lie’
The chief justice specifically maintained that he only owns five of the 45 properties initially alleged by the prosecution team to be his. He said these five properties were declared in his SALN.
Corona was also accused of owning 31 peso accounts and 82 dollar accounts, which were not declared in his SALN. He branded this a "malicious lie" propagated by the Office of the Ombudsman.
He admitted having four dollar accounts, saying he did not declare these in compliance with Republic Act 6426 or the Foreign Currency Deposit Act.
As for the peso accounts, Corona noted these were also not declared in his SALNs because they contained commingled funds of his own family and that of his wife's family-owned company, Basa-Guidote Enterprise Incorporated. —VS/MRT/HS, GMA News
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Tuesday warned lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas that Chief Justice Renato Corona must return to the impeachment court on Wednesday or else the case would be deemed submitted for resolution.
Enrile, who presides over the trial, told lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas that Corona’s testimony will be stricken off the record if the chief justice will not subject himself to cross-examination on Wednesday.
"We allowed him to narrate his defense. If he does not want to be cross-examined, I will order the striking out of his testimony. We will decide the case based on evidence on record," Enrile said.
“I am telling you, we will give him until tomorrow to return. If he will not return for cross we will consider this case submitted for resolution,” the Senate President told Cuevas.
Flustered but trying to keep his composure after the unexpected walkout of his client, Cuevas heeded the presiding officer, saying he will take it as his personal responsibility to bring his client back to the witness stand.
All the while a disheveled chief justice, who returned to the impeachment court in a wheelchair after walking out at the end of his opening statement, seemed oblivious to the proceedings. He did not utter a word as Enrile scolded and warned Cuevas about the consequences of Corona's actions.
“I am not going to allow any slight or abuse of authority for this court for as long as I am the presiding officer,” said Enrile.
Corona had capped his lengthy statement by saying, "And now, the chief justice of the Republic of the Philippines wishes to be excused," before abruptly rising from his seat and briskly walking out of the Senate session hall. He did not wait for the presiding officer to dismiss him, as required during the impeachment trial.
Before concluding his statement, the chief magistrate signed what he claimed was a waiver authorizing the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Land Registration Authority to disclose to the public all information on his assets, business and financial interest, including those of his spouse.
However, Corona said he would only release the waiver if Senator-judge Franklin Drilon and the 188 congressmen who signed the impeachment complaint against him would do the same.
The Senate sergeant-at-arms tried to stop Corona as he was walking out of the impeachment court after he finished his testimony. Defense lawyers said he was taking medication for “dizziness.”
‘No intention to degrade court’
Cuevas apologized for his client’s actions, saying there “was no such plan” for the chief justice to walk out of the impeachment proceedings.
“I would like to assure the court there was no intention to degrade the court… Humihingi po kami ng kapatawaran at pang-unawa,” the lead defense counsel said.
He added that Corona left the session hall because he was “suffering from chest pains, difficulty in breathing and dizziness.”
The defense also claimed that Corona was suffering from hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.
However, Enrile said Corona, as the chief justice, “knows the decorum in court very well” and could have waited to be excused by the Senate impeachment court.
“Kami naman dito pinakita namin na nirerespeto namin siya,” the Senate President said. “Nirerespeto namin ang Korte Suprema. Marami sa akin pumupuna dahil hinayaan kong magsalita nang pagkahaba-haba.”
'I am innocent'
Before walking out of the proceedings, Corona said he did not steal anything from government.
"Ako ay tumitindig sa inyo at sa mga Pilipino nang walang takot at nerbyos dahil siguradung-sigurado po ako, wala akong kasalanan, wala akong ginawang katiwalian at ako ay hindi nagnakaw sa gobyerno," he said.
None of his family's wealth was acquired illegally, as alleged by the prosecution, adding that their wealth came from hard-earned money, the embattled chief justice claimed.
He said that their money came from his family's investments in foreign exchange.
“Wala kaming hilig mag-invest sa properties. Ini-invest namin ang aming resources sa foreign exchange,” he said.
Corona claimed he declared everything in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN). "Wala po akong tinago na ari-arian na 'di ko nilagay sa aking SALN," he said.
‘Malicious lie’
The chief justice specifically maintained that he only owns five of the 45 properties initially alleged by the prosecution team to be his. He said these five properties were declared in his SALN.
Corona was also accused of owning 31 peso accounts and 82 dollar accounts, which were not declared in his SALN. He branded this a "malicious lie" propagated by the Office of the Ombudsman.
He admitted having four dollar accounts, saying he did not declare these in compliance with Republic Act 6426 or the Foreign Currency Deposit Act.
As for the peso accounts, Corona noted these were also not declared in his SALNs because they contained commingled funds of his own family and that of his wife's family-owned company, Basa-Guidote Enterprise Incorporated. —VS/MRT/HS, GMA News
