A ‘moment of truth’ in impeachment trial

Chief Justice Renato Corona: Will he tell all? INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Will he tell all or will he clam up?

When he takes the witness stand Tuesday afternoon before a national television audience, Chief Justice Renato Corona will face a historic “moment of truth” that could determine the outcome of his impeachment trial.

Despite his camp’s assurance that he would explain everything, questions still linger as to how candid—or evasive—the Chief Justice would be in face of his accusers, the 23 senator-judges, and the public at large.

Senator Gregorio Honasan on Monday said Corona—the first Philippine Chief Justice to undergo an impeachment trial—should “tell the truth, tell everything.”

“This is a moment of truth for him and this, to me, is a positive development, whatever happens,” Honasan told the Philippine Daily Inquirer shortly before he sat down with fellow senators in a caucus on the eve of Corona’s testimony.

For Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, the Chief Justice’s testimony should focus on “whatever inconsistencies” there appeared to be in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), particularly his failure to declare his alleged dollar accounts.

“That’s what he needs to explain,” he said in an interview. Asked if Corona’s properties remained a point of contention, he said: “To me, the matter is already clear.”

The prosecution earlier alleged in press conferences that the Chief Justice owned a total of 45 properties, based on a computer-generated list obtained from the Land Registration Authority, whose head is a former classmate and campaign supporter of President Benigno Aquino III.

The defense panel maintained that Corona had only five properties; the prosecution later agreed to dispute only 21 properties.

‘No mercy’ questions

Honasan said the chamber opted not to tackle in caucus the issue of whether it should reconsider its decision to respect the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order against the opening of Corona’s alleged dollar deposits in the impeachment proceedings.

“The consensus among senators is to allow him to testify first,” he said, but he warned against the repercussions should the Chief Justice repeatedly invoke his right against self-incrimination.

“What’s the point of his appearance? This is not a matter of yes-or-no or multiple choice answers. He must explain everything and present credible proof,” the senator added.

Tranquil Salvador III, one of Corona’s lawyers, said the defense expected the Chief Justice to be “butchered” in the face of “no mercy questions” from both the prosecution and senator-judges.

Salvador said “it is now clear” that Corona would be grilled mainly on his purported dollar deposits.

Citing an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales earlier testified that Corona had some $12 million in “transactional” balance.

The defense flatly denied the allegation and questioned the validity of the report and how Morales arrived at her figures.

“We’ve seen the direction (of the trial) and we are ready,” he told the Inquirer.

Communicating to public

But while the defense panel expressed confidence that Corona could explain everything with evidence, Salvador acknowledged that communicating the matter to the public—and convincing the people of his innocence—would be another matter.

“The main audience is the public,” he said. “(The) delivery (of the message) is very important. More important than the merits (of the case) is messaging.”

Honasan admitted that senators would consider public opinion in deciding the fate of Corona.

“There are hanging issues that only the Chief Justice can answer, not only in the eyes of senators but also of the Filipino people, who are the primary audience,” he said.

“You have to factor in evidence, testimonies, proof. But it’s a political process. Ultimately, you have to factor in what will be good for the country.”

Honasan added: “Let’s say the verdict is ‘not guilty’ but in the eyes of the public he is, how can he preside over the highest court in the country? Or what if he is found guilty but in the eyes of the people he committed no culpable violation of the Constitution, that his lapses are not impeachable? He can walk freely among the people with his head held high.”

Summons to banks nixed

The hourlong caucus tackled a number of issues such as Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s move to summon the managers of nine banks where Corona supposedly kept dollar accounts as per the AMLC report.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and his colleagues declined to discuss the results of the caucus, which would be officially announced when trial resumes at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

But a source present in the meeting said the Senate could not grant Santiago’s wish.

The bank managers should be subpoenaed upon the request of either the defense or the prosecution, not by the Senate, said the informant, who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authority to speak on the matter in public.

“If the bank managers would be subpoenaed based on a senator’s request, we would not be sure if they would be witnesses for the defense or the prosecution,” the source said.

Originally posted: 7:15 pm | Monday, May 21st, 2012