‘Good luck,’ says Enrile on possible Corona appeal

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile was unfazed and even wished former Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas luck on his alleged plan to question before the Supreme Court the guilty verdict against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“I wish him luck,” Enrile said of Cuevas in an interview over radio on Wednesday.

“Gusto nyang pumunta sa Korte Suprema para question-in ang aming desisyon, I wish him luck,” the Senate leader added.

Voting 20-3 Tuesday, the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, found Corona guilty of Article 2 of the impeachment complaint pertaining to his failure to disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

But Cuevas, in an interview with reporters after the voting, indicated that they would appeal the decision of the Senate before the high tribunal when he claimed that the judgment would only take effect after 15 days.

Cuevas, Corona’s lead counsel, said the 15-day rule was provided for under the rules of court.

But Senator Franklin Drilon said the 15-day rule that Cuevas was referring to did not apply to an impeachment proceeding.

“Yung 15 days na execution ay yan po ay kung may appeal. Hihintayin muna na bigyan ng pagkakataon ang isang partido na mag appeal kaya mayroong period bago po maging pinal ang desisyon,” Drilon said in a separate interview.

“E dito po, walang appeal. Walang appeal ang desisyon ng imepachment court kaya ito ay immediately executory,” the senator added.