Prosecution hits Cuevas on possible appeal

Lead counsel Serafin Cuevas

MANILA, Philippines — A spokesperson of the House prosecution team on Monday hit lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas’ recent statement on the possibility of taking Chief Justice Renato Corona’s case to the Supreme Court if he is convicted by the Senate impeachment court.

House deputy speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada said that the move would “push the country into constitutional crisis” and could be considered as an “indirect tampering with the jury.”

He said that they saw Cuevas’ statement on taking matters to the high tribunal as a show of the defense panel’s influence. He said that the other team sought to show “na mayroon silang handang aksyon (they seemed to have a ready action plan).”

The defense team’s plan was unfortunate, said Tanada, pointing out Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s statements that their decision would be “final and unappealable.”

“Hindi na pwedeng ireconsider o itaas sa ibang korte (It’s no longer possible to reconsider or elevate the [Senate] verdict to another court),” he explained.

Cuevas recently said that they might take the chief magistrate’s case to the high tribunal in the event that the Senate impeachment court commits grave abuse of discretion.