Prosecution: Defense seeks acquittal by TRO

Marikina City Representative Romero Quimbo

Prosecution spokespersons on Wednesday accused the defense lawyers of seeking the intercession of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s colleagues in the Supreme Court by filing petitions challenging the rulings of the Senate impeachment court.

Marikina Representative Romero Quimbo said it was obvious that Corona, who was reportedly keeping bank accounts with huge deposits but which he did not declare in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), was turning to the high tribunal because he was hiding something.

“They are not just asking for a TRO to stop the Senate impeachment court effectively. The petition filed by the defense [yesterday] morning asked for the declaration of the impeachment complaint as null and void,” Quimbo said.

What Corona’s lawyers are seeking “is an acquittal not by the impeachment court of the Senate but an acquittal through the issuance of a TRO by the Supreme Court,” he said.

Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara said that if Corona had nothing to hide, he should allow the Senate to scrutinize his bank accounts, including that with Philippine Savings Bank which supposedly contained an initial deposit of $700,000 or roughly P34 million.

“What is Chief Justice Corona afraid of?” Angara asked, as he reminded Corona of the latter’s public statement that he was willing to declare everything to prove his innocence.