Defense to block attempts to compel Corona kin to appear on witness stand

Serafin Cuevas. INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Lawyers of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona on Monday said they would block any attempt of the prosecution team of the House of Representatives to compel his family members to appear on the witness stand.

Serafin Cuevas, Corona’s lead counsel, said Article 3 of the 1987 Constitution clearly stated that “no person shall be compelled to testify” in a trial.

Jose Roy III, another member of Corona’s legal team, said the same rule prohibiting a person from testifying against a relative was a “globally recognized” jurisprudence.

“It’s a long-standing rule not just in Philippine law,” Roy said.

Asked to explain the reason behind the rule, he said: “(It’s meant) to preserve family relations. You don’t want a situation where witnesses will be altering their testimony because the (witnesses and accused) are related to each other.”

“You don’t want a situation where family members are not free to share things with one another,” Roy said.

However, he said there were certain circumstances in which individuals may testify for or against their next of kin.

“But those exceptions do not include the case of Chief Justice Corona,” Roy said.

The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday during its regular en banc session the petitions to stop the impeachment of Corona.

Supreme Court spokesperson Midas Marquez said the Chief Justice would inhibit himself from the deliberations. With a report from Philip Tubeza