Senators dismiss defense witness testimony as ‘irrelevant’

MANILA, Philippines — Senators, who sit as judges in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, dismissed as immaterial the testimony of Navotas Representative Tobias Tiangco, with one calling it a “propaganda” meant to influence them.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

No less than Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, presiding officer in the trial, found Tiangco’s testimony irrelevant to the ongoing trial of the Chief Justice.

Tiangco testified before the impeachment court on how the majority bloc in the House of Representatives allegedly pressured its members into signing the impeachment complaint against Corona.

“Palagay ko hindi na importante yun sa amin e kung ano ang nangyari sa House. Ang dapat talagang harapin na nila yung tungkol sa problema ng SALN,,yung Article 2 [I think what happened in the House is not important to us. What they should really face is the issue of SALN, the Article 2],” Enrile told reporters on Tuesday.

SALN stands for statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. Article 2 of the impeachment complaint alleges Corona’s failure to disclose to the public his SALN.

While he understands that Tiangoco’s testimony was meant to show that some congressmen were pressured into signing the impeachment complaint against Corona, Enrile said the important question that must be answered was whether or not the Chief Justice committed any wrongdoing.

And if the defense team would continue presenting witnesses to about how the majority bloc in the House succeeded in transmitting the complaint in the Senate, then Enrile said he would be forced to stop such testimony.

“Palagay ko mawalang galang, pagsabihan ko na sila na tama na yan. Diretsuhin na ninyo, punta na kayo sa substance ng Article 2 [I think, with all due respect, I’ll tell them that’s enough. Go directly to the substance of Article 2],” said the Senate leader.

“If at all propaganda,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said of Tiangco’s testimony.

“Sabi nila it might influence the senator judges na into thinking na ganun pala prini-pare yung articles of impeachment [They say it might influence the senator-judges into thinking that was how the articles of impeachment were prepared]. But so what?” asked Lacson.

“Immaterial, walang materiality sa court,” Lacson added.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senator Edgardo Angara aired the same view.

Sotto said Tiangco’s testimony “only affects the preparation of the articles of impeachment.”

“That’s all. I don’t think I will consider it as far as the 2,3 7 articles are concerned,” Sotto said referring to the three charges presented by the prosecution team against Corona.

Angara said the issues raised by Tiangco before the Senate was internal to the House.

“Internal matter yan sa House. How the House conducts its own business, it’s their own look out. We’re not going to be my brother’s keeper,” Angara said.

And to the alleged questions at how the impeachment case against Corona was trasmitted to the Senate, Angara said, “It doesn’t matter how you transmit and what option they chose to bring it up here. Immaterial yun sa amin.”