Prosecution spokesmen silent on who will cross examine Corona

MANILA, Philippines — Who will conduct the cross examination once embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona takes the witness stand next week?

Prosecution spokesmen were mum on who exactly they will pick to test the chief magistrate once he appears before the Senate, sitting as an impeachment trial, but said that the prosecutor would have to be their “most patient,” “most tolerant.”

Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara declined to divulge to reporters who they will choose to cross examine Corona but said they would pick the “one most capable and has a good overview of the case.”

Marikina City Representative Romero Quimbo hinted at changes in their choice of prosecutor, saying “may pagbabago sa napupusuan namin recently” but said that the person should be sharp enough to deal with Corona whom was described to be “no ordinary witness, extremely intelligent.”

“It’s not going to be an easy job.”

House Deputy Speaker and Quezon Province Representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III maintained that the prosecutor will be “sharp and will be able to adapt in the situation. He said that the “tone of questioning will be polite.”

“There are techniques in asking questions that a certain witness can’t avoid answering. It is important that our prosecution is very respectful and courteous to illicit the answers.”

How much time the prosecution would need to cross examine the chief justice was still “hard to pin down”, said Tañada, explaining that it will depend on what points the direct examination would cover.

Tañada said that they hoped Corona would “come out clean and open his accounts to scrutiny.”