Senate defers ruling on Santiago motion

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate has deferred its decision on a motion for reconsideration filed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on the chamber’s decision to summon bank officials and documents in relation to bank accounts allegedly owned by Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“The chair is not prepared to make a ruling on this today…The chair would not make a ruling either to deny or sustain the motion and give the senator that made this motion a chance to be heard,” said Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, the presiding officer when the trial resumed on Tuesday.

Enrile said the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, would make the ruling on Santiago’s motion on Wednesday.

The motion was immediately put on the floor when the Senate started at around 2:00 p.m.

Santiago was absent in the hearing but her motion was read on the floor by Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

But Enrile said he would like to hear first the motion personally from Santiago.

Senator Panfilo Lacson stood up and noted that Santiago was absent when the Senate ruled on the issue Monday.

Senator Franklin Drilon also stood up and reminded the Senate of Senator Francis Escudero’s point of order Monday when Corona’s lawyers sought reconsideration of the ruling.

Drilon supported Escudero’s opinion that only a member of the Senate under the rules of impeachment should be allowed to file a motion for reconsideration.

Sotto then called for suspension of the proceeding to tackle the matter.

When the proceeding resumed, Enrile announced that he would defer his decision on the matter.