Prosecution remains confident of Corona conviction

Prosecution team members Rep. Miro Quimbo and Rep. Sonny Angara, Jr. INQUIRE file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution remains confident that Chief Justice Renato Corona will be convicted.

In a briefing Friday after the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, adjourned, Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, a spokesman for the team called the chief magistrate’s interpretation “absurd” and a “scoundrel’s interpretation” for being used as an excuse for the non-disclosure of four dollar accounts.

“We might as well declare the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) Law unconstitutional.”

Marikina Representative Romero “Miro” Quimbo called the interpretation “anomalous”, saying that it should be enough to convict Corona if not for his non-disclosure of his dollar accounts.

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada III said their team was quite convinced Corona would be convicted, saying “delikado ang interpretation (niya) ng Foreign Currency Deposit Act [His interpretation of the Foreign Currenc Deposit Act dangerous].”

He said that transparency through full declarations in SALNs was “the higher standard being asked of government officials.”

Quimbo maintained that all “hogwash about the waiver is over and done with and passe. It’s too late. It’s an afterthought – a publicity stunt that isn’t going to work.”

“Why is no one condemning the chief justice? It’s crazy,” Angara said, pointing out that if Corona’s claims were true, it should be easy to present relevant documents like passbooks to prove his case.

Lack of evidence was why the prosecution found it confusing “why people discuss Corona’s claims.”

Quimbo said that they “realized what we had initially known, that the chief justice was not going to be a good witness for the defense. There was no degree of demolition on the prosecution’s case.”