Defense lawyer Ramon Esguerra answers a question from media on whether Chief Justice Renato Corona would be subpoenaed by the impeachment court. INQUIRER.net's Noy Morcoso/file photo
MANILA, Philippines – Chief Justice Renato Corona’s testimony Friday has “proved [the prosecutors] wrong” in all their allegations against him, a lawyer for the chief magistrate said.
Defense counsel Ramon Esguerra told reporters that Corona was their “biggest evidence” and was “very forthright [in his] answers to the interpolation of the senators, he was candid, honest and answered questions propounded to him directly.”
Corona took the witness stand again Friday after his testimony was abruptly cut last Tuesday when his blood sugar level dropped.
“As the advocate for the Chief Justice, we’re saying that we’ve proved [the prosecution] wrong [with their case],” Esguerra said.
He added that the appreciation of the evidence to determine if there was basis for conviction or acquittal was up to the senator-judges themselves.
Corona himself had explained everything, including the actual amount contained in his bank account, which only amounted to $2.4 million and not the alleged $10 to $12 million, Esguerra said.
“The only fundamental issue is whether you believe him or not. [The senator-judges] should put credence to everything [Corona] said,” Esguerra said.
He said that the impeachment trial would come down to the “purported non-disclosure of the dollar and peso deposits [of Corona]” which the defense maintained was not an impeachable offense because it could be corrected.
“Is a [correctable] offense an impeachable?” Esguerra said, quoting Senator Joker Arroyo.
“It is not an impeachable offense,” Esguerra said. “It does not amount to the very serious crimes provided for in the constitution that will constitute betrayal of public trust [and] other high crimes.”
He said however that they were not yet confident on what the verdict of the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, would be.
“I still need to pray,” Esguerra said. “Pray hard as I did last Tuesday and as I did this morning.”
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