Corona trial resumes

MANILA, Philippines—The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, resumed on Tuesday with Navotas Representative Tobias Tiangco expected to return to the witness stand.

Tiangco, the first witness presented by the defense team, appeared before the Senate Monday and testified how the administration allegedly used the lawmakers’ priority development assistance fund (PDAF) to pressure them to support moves such as the filing of the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Tiangco cited his own experience, saying the release of his PDAF, also known as pork barrel, was delayed when he voted “no” to the impeachment complaint against then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

But some senators said Tiangco’s testimony was immaterial and irrelevant to the ongoing trial in the Senate.