Vertigo-stricken Cuevas being missed, but still guiding defense panel

MANILA, Philippines—Lead defense counsel retired Justice Serafin Cuevas is still guiding the defense panel despite his noticed physical absence at the Corona impeachment trial since Monday, according to his panel co-members.

Defense counsel Jose Roy III said, “You have all seen the resilience of (retired) Justice (Cuevas), he’s a very strong and able leader, so while we miss him, he also makes certain that we are not short on guidance. We have all been instructed [on] how to proceed.”

Cuevas is said to have been suffering from vertigo (dizziness) for a long time already and that this was just a recurrence. Cuevas was said to be well and just getting some rest.

Defense counsel Tranquil Salvador said in a press briefing Tuesday that they have to work double-time “because it’s different when Justice Cuevas is there explaining on the floor.”

“He (Cuevas) enhances us. Each of us has our own capabilities as lawyers, but it’s different when he is there,” Salvador said.

A running joke among the defense panel members was that they would get “energy” from him by shaking hands with him or sitting near him.

“You see how energetic he is, at his age,” Salvador said. “We try to fill up his absence, we hope we are able to do it.”

He added that they are maintaining close communications with Cuevas with regards to anything that needed to be done or reminded.

“However, we don’t want to burden him too much, we want that if he will rest, he will get proper rest,” Salvador said.

Roy said, “We always try our best to live up to his expectations, which are quite difficult.”

He added that he thinks and hopes Cuevas will be back within the week, “but if he’s not feeling comfortable being out for prolonged periods, we don’t want him to have to struggle.”