Prosecution mulls deposition of witnesses to shorten Corona trial

MANILA, Philippines – The prosecution is planning to depose witnesses to shorten the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, a spokesman for the team said Thursday.

Speaking to reporters at the Senate, Marikina Representative Romero Quimbo said that they have deposed a witness for Article 7 whom he identified as the lawyer who notarized a special power of attorney for former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to receive pleadings on her behalf.

On the issue of the defense panel opposing the deposition, Quimbo said, “Meron bang hindi inopposan [ang defense]?” He added that depositions were rarely opposed but the defense panel was resorting to technicalities.

Explaining that a deposition only takes up 15 to 20 minutes, Quimbo said that members of the defense were initially present but eventually left. “Gusto nila dalhin pa lahat ng witnesses dito,” he said, adding that presenting all witnesses will delay the proceedings.

The spokesman said that depositions would allow the prosecution panel to shorten the time used to present witnesses at the impeachment court. A witness’ testimony is taken without being presented to the court during proceedings, he said.

He said they would depose other witnesses so that they could finish before Holy Week.

Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara, another spokesman for the prosecution, said that their goal of ending by early March was a “self-imposed deadline” since litigation was unpredictable and that they would have to consider how much evidence and how convincing they have made their case. He said that their team has been divided on whether or not to shorten the articles of impeachment.

Angara further cited Articles 1 and 4 as examples of articles wherein they could depose witnesses. But he was quick to add that it was just a suggestion, “I’m just saying it’s a possibility.”

Quimbo said that although some of them believed that their case was strong based on the bank deposits presented to the impeachment court, “we cannot stop on the basis of our confidence” and that they had to consider witnesses who have awaited presentation at the trial and “ventilation of evidence” they have gathered.

Although he maintained that they were more inclined to present all of the eight articles, Quimbo said that they sought to at least present three more “full-blown articles and the rest would be deposition and submission of documents.”