Corona trial resumes

MANILA, Philippines—The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, resumed session on Wednesday with the chamber expected to decide on two controversial issues –a motion for reconsideration filed against the subpoena it issued to bank officials and bank records of Chief Justice Renato Corona and another request to subpoena some Supreme Court justices in the ongoing impeachment trial of Corona.

Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, the presiding officer, opened the trial at around 2:00 in the afternoon.

Before this, senators, who sit as judges in the trial, held a caucus to discuss the motion for reconsideration filed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who was on a sick leave when the Senate ruled last Monday in favor of the prosecution team’s request to subpoena the representatives of Philippine Savings Bank in Katipunan, Quezon and Bank of the Philippine Islands in Ayala, Makati City in connection with alleged bank accounts owned by Corona.

The prosecution team also has a pending request to subpoena four Supreme Court justices and several court records in relation to Article 3 of the impeachment court which refers to Corona’s alleged lack of “competence, integrity, probity and independence” in handling cases specially involving former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The prosecution team listed eight allegations in the complaint against Corona.

In an interview before the caucus, Senator Panfilo Lacson expressed doubts whether the Senate would still reverse its ruling on the subpoena issued to bank officials and bank records of Corona since the impeachment rules provide that only a member of the Senate who voted with the majority should only be allowed to seek a reconsideration.

And Lacson noted that Santiago expressed her position against the subpoena when the senators decided on it in a caucus Monday.

“We will just hear her legal arguments, but I don’t think we will put it into a vote simply because it’s against the rules. We will have to suspend our rules,  Rules of the Senate, Rules of Procedures sa Impeachment before we act on her motion,” said Lacson.