MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Monday accepted the decision of the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, to honor Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order barring prosecutors from examining Chief Justice Renato Corona’s foreign currency deposits.
Edwin Lacierda, a spokesperson of President Aquino, pointed out that the impeachment trial of Corona has managed to and will continue to “bring to light evidence to prove the guilt of the Chief Justice.”
“The truth will emerge. The issues remain joined. There is much more evidence to present. There are many more fights left before the day of judgment comes,” Lacierda said in a statement which he issued shortly after the Senate announced it had voted 13-10 in favor of honoring the high court’s TRO.
In his statement, Lacierda said the despite the Senate decision to obey the high court’s TRO, it will “vigorously defend its assertion that it has sole authority to try and decide impeachment cases, and, in the words of the Senate President (Juan Ponce Enrile), will argue the case on its merits before the high court.”
“The Senate’s decision closes the door on the defense walking out of the proceedings and heads off any attempt to entice the Supreme Court to put an end to the impeachment trial,” he said, pointing out that the defense can no longer make a claim that a constitutional crisis was looming following the decision made by the Senate.