Enrile: Only military can stop Corona impeachment trial

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Senate is not under any pressure to complete the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, which begins on January 16, within a certain time frame, or to deliver a specific verdict, according to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

In a radio interview Sunday, Enrile cautioned both Malacañang and the Supreme Court against meddling in the impeachment trial of the Chief Justice.

The Senate President said that no one could dictate terms on him, “only God and the people.”

But he conceded, “The only one that can stop us is the might of the military.”

He said he did not think the high court would heed a petition to issue a temporary restraining order against the Senate trial.

It is the Senate that is tasked to conduct the trial and neither the executive nor the judiciary could dictate the  outcome or time frame of the  exercise, declared Enrile.

The Senate President assured the public that he would “not side with anyone,” saying  he respected both the executive branch and the Supreme Court.

But I hope they will understand that we were tasked not by the Supreme Court or the executive but by the people to be the judges in this case before us. They should understand and accept this. We will do our job and they cannot meddle,” he said in Filipino.

President Benigno Aquino III’s allies in the House of Representatives  filed the impeachment complaint against Corona after the Supreme Court issued a restraining order against Malacañang’s move to stop former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the country.

What is important for the Senate is to ensure that the impeachment trial is “orderly, calm, not rowdy and not rude, and that we would follow the rules.”

“If the process would be quick or slow, that would be the responsibility of the lawyers of the House and the lawyers for the accused,” Enrile said.

Enrile described as “ordinary” and “natural” the bid of Corona’s lawyers to seek the dismissal of the impeachment complaint due to its supposed failure to meet Constitutional requirements.

If Corona’s arguments prove to be right, the Senate has no choice but to return it to the House, otherwise the trial shall proceed, Enrile said.

While the Senate will conduct a preliminary hearing on the issue of whether or not the complaint against Corona was complete, this would be a short proceeding, Enrile said.

Enrile also said he would not allow chatty lawyers.

“They must get to the point,” he said. Enrile is a former trial lawyer.

“Titignan ko ang galing ng mga abogadong ito [I will see how good these lawyers are],” he said.

Originally posted: 10:58 pm | Sunday, January 1st, 2012