Roy says defense team has full support on him

MANILA, Philippines—Defense counsel Jose Roy III said Tuesday the rest of the defense team have expressed their full support for him after he being cited for contempt by the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court.

“The defense counsels are united. I am confident from the expression of support that I received from all of them last night, which were very heart-warming,” Roy told reporters.

Roy was cited in contempt for his allegations during a press conference last February 12 that the senator-judges had been offered P100 million worth of project by Malacañang in exchange for defying the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order (TRO) on the opening of bank accounts allegedly in the name of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“What is clear to me is the senator-judges have a different perception of what we did in the press con,” Roy told the media in an ambush interview before Tuesday’s proceedings.

He was the one who specifically disclosed the P100-million bribe in the press conference, which was probably the reason why he was the only one cited in contempt, Roy said.

“[The senator-judges] said they were made to feel that I was accusing them of being susceptible to a bribe, to graft,” Roy said.

Roy added that his refusal to name the source of the information could also be a reason.

Lawyer Karen Jimeno said in a separate interview that their intention in the press conference was “not to disrespect any senator-judge but to warn the people trying to interfere [in the proceedings] to stop.”

Roy said that if ever he were locked up as penalty “I will ask Karen to visit me first, to cheer me up.”