Senate to await final SC ruling on Corona’s foreign currency accounts

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate, acting as an impeachment court, on Wednesday reiterated that they would await the final decision of the Supreme Court regarding the foreign currency accounts of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, acting as the presiding officer, said that the impeachment court could not make a ruling on how they wwould treat the supposed photocopies of bank documents from Philippine Savings Bank allegedly detailing Corona’s foreign currency accounts.

“At this point we cannot make a ruling on the matter. As you know, there is a pending case in the Supreme Court,” Enrile said.

“It violates the bank secrecy provided in RA6426, so it is the position of this chair to await the disposition of the Supreme Court on that and take up this particular issue when those documentary evidence would be offered in evidence by the respective parries provided that at point in time the Supreme Court has rendered a final ruling on the matter,” he added.

The Senate’s reiteration came after Senator Loren Legarda asked how the senator-judges would treat the document presented by the prosecution since its authenticity has yet to be validated.

The Senate, voting 13-10, ruled to uphold the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court barring the impeachment court from issuing a subpoena on the documents of Corona’s foreign currency deposits.