SC spokesman: No high court ruling stopping impeachment trial

Supreme Court spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Supreme Court Spokesman and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez on Monday denied that the high court has stopped the Impeachment Court from proceeding with its trial.

Marquez told reporters that there is no such ruling and that the high court justices are on a break and session will resume only next month.

Chief Justice Renato Corona, through his lawyers, asked the high court early this year to stop the impeachment proceedings and nullify the Articles of Impeachment.

The petition noted that the Impeachment Court should not have proceeded with trial on the basis of the complaint, which is “riddled with constitutional defects too numerous to withstand even cursory legal scrutiny.”

Text message circulated Monday about the high court stopping the impeachment proceedings. Several text messages have been circulating since last week about Corona allegedly set to announce his resignation at a press conference, Cristina Corona to fly to Spain last Saturday and defense lawyers Judd Roy has quit and Karen Jimeno missing. Both lawyers denied the report.