Palace says prosecution’s failure to present witness due to ‘opening day jitters’

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang was expecting one of its officials to take the witness stand on Tuesday until the House prosecution panel informed the Senate impeachment court that it wasn’t presenting any evidence against Chief Justice Renato Corona on the first day as it was supposed to.

Secretary Edwin Lacierda, President Benigno Aquino III’s spokesperson, said Malacañang Records Office head Marianito Dimaandal is again expected to take the stand Wednesday to testify on the authenticity of Corona’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth when the latter was still with the Palace during the administrations of Fidel Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Lacierda attributed the failure of the prosecution panel to present any evidence or witness in Tuesday’s Senate proceedings to “opening day jitters” for the prosecution panel.

“We had our personnel there,” Lacierda said during Wednesday’s news briefing in Malacañang.

“I was wondering why we did not present the Malacañang [staff member] there (Tuesday) because we know we had a witness. The witness was already there in the Senate. So it was certainly opening day jitters for the prosecution,” Lacierda said.