Defense urges prosecution to ‘play by the rules’

MANILA, Philippines – “Play by the rules,” a lawyer for Chief Justice Renato Corona said Wednesday after questions were raised on the authenticity of the documents presented by the prosecution on Corona’s dollar accounts.

Annabelle Tiongson, Philippine Savings Bank (PS Bank) Katipunan branch manager, testified on Monday that the documents attached by the prosecution in its supplemental request for subpoena were “fake”.

“It is a timely reminder to both parties to remain abiding to our oath as lawyers and officers of the court that we should not foist any falsehood upon the court, wittingly or recklessly,” former Justice Undersecretary Ramon Esguerra said in a text message.

“In a manner of speaking, we must play by the rules of the game on the basis of what is true, fair and just,” Esguerra said.

The photocopy of the PS Bank documents in the name of Corona that were allegedly handed to Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali had come under question after both PS Bank president Pascual Garcia III and PS Bank Tiongson testified that it had not come from their bank.

Umali said the document was handed to him by a “small lady” while he was at the Senate secretariat. However, no “small lady” was seen on CCTV. Tiongson, in her testimony before the Impeachment court, said the document was different from what they have in their possession.