Prosecution presents 3 witnesses at impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines–A physician, a member of the media, and a government official were presented by the prosecution team at the resumption of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona on Monday.

The first witness called by the prosecution team was Dr. Juliet Gopez-Cervantes, the physician of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who testified on the medical certificate she issued on her patient’s condition last Oct. 1, 2011.

The certificate was attached to the petition she filed before the Supreme Court to allow her to seek medical treatment abroad.

After identifying the certificate and its authenticity, Cervantes was immediately discharged by private prosecutor Arthur Lim, who examined her.

Corona’s lawyers did not conduct a cross examination of the witness.

After Cervantes, the prosecutors immediately called their second witness, Emma Abanador from the Office of the Vice President.

Abanador testified on the pre-marked documents she earlier submitted to the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court. The defense lawyers did not also cross-examine the witness.

The third witness was Edmond Llosala, a cameraman of ABS-CBN, who was called to testify supposedly to prove that the Supreme Court extended its office hours to accommodate the filing of a P2 million bond by Arroyo, one of three conditions for the lifting of a temporary restraining order issued against her last Nov. 15, 2011.

All three were presented as witnesses under Article VII of the impeachment complaint which accuses Corona of alleged “partiality” in the granting of the TRO on the government’s watchlist order against Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo.