Corona defense to present 29 witnesses

Six lawmakers, including Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr., three Supreme Court justices and a noted constitutionalist are among 29 witnesses that the defense will present in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

In a pleading submitted to the Senate on Tuesday, the defense panel also stated that Corona “reserves his right to present” other testimonial and documentary evidence which they “deem necessary during the progress of the trial.”

“We assure you that when it’s our time to present witnesses, their testimonies will have substance and quality so that the people will not get tired,” lawyer Tranquil Salvador III told reporters during a break in the trial.

“We understand the principle of corroborative evidence. If we could prove our argument with just one witness, then we will not do it with 10 witnesses,” Salvador said.

The defense panel also included Marikina City Representative Miro Quimbo, Cavite Representative Jesus Crispin Remulla, Batangas Representative Hermilando Mandanas and Navotas Representative Tobias Tiangco in the list of witnesses.

Quimbo is the House prosecution spokesperson. Remulla, Mandanas and Tiangco had previously disclosed to the media that the articles of impeachment against Corona were approved and signed by an overwhelming number of House members on Dec. 12, 2011, without  reading the contents of the document.

‘Adverse party witnesses’

According to Salvador, the defense would present Tupas, the House lead prosecutor, and Quimbo as “adverse party witnesses.”

“The very moment they appear on the witness stand, we may already cross examine them. And having them as witnesses would be good because they signed the impeachment complaint and they will take their oath before the people,” Salvador said.

The lawyers said Tupas’ testimony regarding Article 1 would “prove that he is adverse to Corona and that … he intentionally omitted in the verified complaint relevant portions in the assailed Supreme Court decisions.”

They said the excluded parts of the high court’s rulings “exculpate Corona from the charge of betrayal of public trust” as alleged in the first of the eight articles of impeachment.

Also included as defense witnesses were Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco, Arturo Brion and Roberto Abad, Supreme Court administrator and spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez and constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas.

The defense would present the following witnesses for each article of impeachment:

Article 1: Tupas and a representative of the Office of the Court Administrator.

Article 2: Supreme Court Clerk of Court Enriqueta Vidal, House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal secretary Girlie Salarda, Senate Electoral Tribunal secretary Irene Guevarra, Araceli Bayuga of the Supreme Court’s Fiscal Management and Budget Office, the city assessors of the cities of Taguig, Makati, Marikina and Quezon, Tupas, Quimbo, an unnamed expert witness to testify on Corona’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, and a representative of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

Article 3: A representative from the high tribunal and an officer of John Hay Management Corp.

Article 4: Officials of the high tribunal and Marquez’s office.

Article 5: Vidal, former Supreme Court Clerk of Court Ma. Luisa Villarama and Third Division Clerk of Court Lucita Soriano.

Article 6: Vidal and Marquez.

Article 7: Velasco, Abad, Brion, Marquez and Bernas.

Article 8: Supervising auditor of the tribunal and Vidal’s deputy, Corazon Ferrer-Flores.