Senate stage set for Corona; trial resumes Tuesday

Chief Justice Renato Corona. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on May 22 to finally confront allegations that he betrayed the public trust and committed culpable violation of the Constitution when he allegedly fudged entries in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

Before adjourning the 39th impeachment hearing Wednesday, lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas told the Senate impeachment court that the defense panel would “dispense with other witnesses” it had lined up for presentation, including Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

“We have presented all the witnesses we have … relative to the $10-million deposits,” said Cuevas, explaining that the defense was “practically through with that aspect.”

Since Monday, the Senate impeachment court has heard the testimonies of Morales, former Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros, civil society leader Harvey Keh and lawyer Emmanuel Santos.

Hontiveros, Keh and Santos are separate complainants in graft complaints lodged in the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice.

To set the stage for Corona’s appearance at his own trial, Cuevas asked the impeachment court to postpone hearings set for two trial days—Wednesday and on Monday—to give the Chief Justice ample time to prepare for his defense.

Although Corona will be presented as a defense witness, he will be open to scrutiny by the court. After direct examination by the defense, he will be cross-examined by the prosecution and grilled by senator-judges.

Upon a motion by Cuevas and another defense counsel, Jose Roy III, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, presiding officer of the trial, ordered the impeachment clerk of court to require the Office of the Ombudsman to furnish the defense with copies of the PowerPoint presentation used in the testimony of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on Monday.

The Senate, it turned out, was only furnished with the computer printout of the PowerPoint presentation.

Cuevas said the “soft copy” would help “prepare the respondent” for his explanation on some 400 transactions allegedly made by the Chief Justice.

Cuevas was referring to the 17-page report that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) submitted to the Ombudsman. The AMLC report recorded a total of 705 transactions in Corona’s alleged foreign currency accounts with Bank of the Philippine Islands, Philippine Savings Bank, Allied Bank, Deutsche Bank and Citibank.

Morales said the bank accounts kept $12 million in “fresh deposits.”

Come clean

Prosecutors welcomed the defense announcement that Corona would finally take the witness stand on Tuesday.

“(W)e look forward to the day that all questions with regard to his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth may be propounded to the Chief Justice,” Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III, a prosecution spokesperson, told reporters.

“We hope he will be forthright, and he would be willing to open his accounts. They’ve been saying that they’re disputing the AMLC accounts. The only way for us to verify is for him to come out clean, open his accounts for everyone to scrutinize,’’ he added.

No ordinary witness

The prosecution said it would prepare well for the cross-examination of Corona.

“The Chief Justice is no ordinary witness. He’s an extremely intelligent witness. He’s the head magistrate. He went to Harvard law school for his masters degree,’’ said Marikina Rep. Romero Federico Quimbo, also a prosecution spokesperson. “It’s not an easy job. But there will be ways to come up with discrepancies impugning his credibility.”

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, one of the prosecution spokespersons, said the most capable prosecutor “who has overview of the whole case” would propound questions to Corona, but declined to say whether it will be a lawmaker or a private prosecutor.

“It’s very hard to pick because there are many brilliant prosecutors in our ranks,” Angara said.

“There are many “who are willing and able, and competent enough to do it,” Quimbo added.

Tañada assured Corona that he would be treated with respect by the prosecutors. “We will not be rude in our questions. For us, we can commit we will be respectful,” he said.

End of trial

Enrile also reminded the defense and prosecution panels of the impeachment court’s target to end the trial on May 30.

“We will take it up in caucus. We will have to finish this (trial) not beyond this month. We have a pile of legislative matters to be discussed,” he said.

The caucus will also take up the time to be allotted for both panels during the summation of arguments, which precedes the promulgation of verdict.

Cuevas, however, asked the court for more time to deliver the defense’s closing arguments, while House lead prosecutor Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. said he was “amenable for one hour for two speakers.”

“Whatever is consumed by the prosecution, we will give you much time,” Enrile told Cuevas.

But Tupas objected to the defense being given a brief time—even 10 minutes—to further rebut the closing arguments of the prosecution, prompting Enrile to submit this issue for consideration by senator-judges in a caucus on Monday.