Prosecution says defense looking for acquittal by TRO

MANILA, Philippines—The defense is looking for an “acquittal by TRO (temporary restraining order)” through a petition filed before the Supreme Court, the prosecution team said in a press briefing Wednesday.

“The petition filed by the defense this morning asks for the declaration of the impeachment complaint as null and void,” Marikina representative Romero Quimbo said in a press briefing.

“We view this petition with deep alarm,” he added.

He said that the defense was repeating arguments in their petition that have already been ruled upon by the impeachment court. The defense was raising again the arguments that the complaint was not verified through the correct process in the lower house and that the rules of criminal procedure and the rules of evidence were not being followed.

Quimbo said that they are asking to “stop the proceedings permanently” and set aside and scrap the verified impeachment complaint.

Aurora representative Juan Edgardo Angara said that what the petition was asking was for an “acquittal by TRO.”

Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tañada said “we believe they are afraid of what could be presented today.”

“We believe this is a direct attack on the jurisdiction of the impeachment tribunal,” Tañada said. “Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile had said that no one can stop the process.”

These evidence, if the impeachment court allows, will show that the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona are not truthful, Tañada said.

“If they are not hiding anything, let’s have the bank accounts opened,” Angara said.