Witness and bonsai artist credible, defense insists

MANILA, Philippines—Don’t be surprised if the prosecution panel claims that Chief Justice Renato Corona is also an avid bonsai enthusiast, a defense lawyer said on Sunday.

Tranquil Salvador III said the defense expected that the prosecution would still insist that Demetrio Vicente, Corona’s second-degree cousin, was just a caretaker of the 1,700-square-meter lot in Marikina Heights, Marikina City, and that the Chief Justice and his wife were the real owners of the property.

“Maybe they will try to insinuate that the Chief Justice loves bonsai and that (Vicente) is just an administrator or caretaker,” Salvador told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

“I will not be surprised (if they do that), although I don’t think the prosecution would go to that extent of stretching this issue too much,” he added.

He said Vicente’s testimony, backed by documents that Corona’s counsels presented in the Senate impeachment court, and his interviews with the media were “sufficient” enough to conclude that the 70-year-old bonsai collector owned the piece of land.

“Mr. Vicente has been sufficiently examined in court and interviewed (by the media). I think he has explained that he’s the owner of the property,” Salvador said.

Vicente, a noted and award-winning bonsai artist, took the witness stand last week in support of his embattled cousin who, he claimed, had not seen him since he bought the property from his wife Cristina and an adjacent lot from her sister, Miriam Roco, in 1990.

Vicente admitted that while he acquired the seven parcels of land for P1.018 million, the property remained in Cristina’s name since he failed to pay for the transfer of the certificate of title.

When the Inquirer visited him in his Marikina residence on Friday, Vicente said he would have to shell out around P200,000 just to have the property transferred to his name and pay the penalties which accumulated for the past 22 years.

Vicente, a stroke survivor, swore that he owned the property which he turned into a green paradise for his collection of over 2,000 bonsai plants.

“If I were merely a caretaker, how would this bonsai have roots like that?” he said, referring to one of the prized miniature plants he patiently tended for years.

Salvador said it was just natural for the prosecutors to remain doubting Thomases and maintain that Vicente’s testimony was not credible.