Corona trial may cost House more than P5M

House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II. https://www.congress.gov.ph

The House of Representatives would have no choice but to add to the P5-million initial budget of its 11-member prosecution team in the Senate should the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona run longer than expected.

“The budget will depend on how long the trial will last because this is no joke. We have to shoulder the prosecutors’ food, transportation, office space and allowances, including those of their staff. It would be good if there were well-meaning individuals willing to help but if there are none, we have to shoulder all of it,” said Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has allocated P5 million for the impeachment budget which was entrusted to House accounts committee chair and An-Waray party-list Rep. Florencio Noel.

“When you prosecute something, you require money. If they run out of funds, then I suppose there’s nothing wrong with augmenting what they need. Otherwise, why did we go through the impeachment process in the first place if we cannot support our own prosecutors,” said Gonzales, who did not say how much in additional funds would be given to the prosecutors.

The prosecution team initially projected that the impeachment case could be wrapped up before Congress adjourns for the Holy Week break in March.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, a spokesperson for the prosecution, said that there was no need for additional funds as of now.

The prosecution team has to rely on a team of pro bono lawyers, led by Mario Bautista, in order to rise to the level of the senior defense team, led by former Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas.