2 Senate allies confirm meeting with Aquino during Corona trial

President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Three senators on Tuesday confirmed meeting President Benigno Aquino III at the height of the impeachment trial of then Chief Justice Renato Corona.

But Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, an administration ally, said that when they met,  the President simply explained to him why he would like Corona to be impeached.

Recto said he did not recall how he went to Malacañang but he said “I did meet with the President. In Bahay Pangarap.”

“We discussed many things. I don’t recall exactly but the impeachment was also discussed,” he said.

Asked if the President asked him to impeach Corona, Recto said: “He (Aquino) explained his side. Simple as that.”

He said there was also no request from the President to vote against Corona.

But asked again if the President was explaining to him why he wanted Corona to be impeached, Recto said: “That’s right.”

Though the President did not explicitly asked his support, the senator believed that it was Aquino’s intention.

“I think that was the intention. But he just explained his side and that’s it,” Recto said.

The President on Tuesday said he had met with senators to ensure that they would vote based on the merit of the case amid alleged lobbying by some sectors.

Recto though could not recall if the issue was even brought up when they met.

“I don’t recall any of the discussions. From what I remember only is that he explained his side. What he said publicly,” he said.

Despite this, Recto saw nothing wrong with the President’s meetings with senators, calling it a “political process” rather than “meddling” as viewed by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in a privilege speech Monday.

It was Revilla, who exposed that Aquino had met with him supposedly begging him to impeach Corona.

Both Recto and Revilla voted to impeach Corona.

But Recto said his decision was not influenced by the President.

“I didn’t feel any pressure,” he said.

Senator Teofisto Guingona III, another administration ally, and Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, a member of the opposition bloc, also confirmed that they had met the President.

Estrada, in an interview, though refused to elaborate his meeting with the President except to say that it was about Corona’s impeachment.

Guingona, in another interview, he met with the President “from time to time” during the impeachment trial of Corona.

“I don’t recall how many times. This is part of regular process,” he said.

But Guingona said the President did not ask or beg him to impeach Corona.

“No, no, no. None at all. There was none…” he said.

Guingona said the President did not also explain or discuss with him why he wanted to impeach Corona.

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