Defense lauds Enrile’s warning on prosecution’s ‘fishing expedition’

MANILA, Philippines—Defense spokesman Tranquil Salvador cited a “very important development” the observation of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday’s proceedings that “maybe the impeachment trial is being used to be able to collate evidence and information.”

Senator Enrile, addressing the prosecution, said, “Your procedures seem to suggest to me as a presiding officer that you did not have any evidence. You’re just gathering it through subpoenas issued by this court.”

“And I warn you that this is going to be a fatal error on your part,” Enrile said.

Defense lawyer Rico Paolo Quicho said that it was “a recognition of the lack of preparation [of the prosecution] in the gathering of evidence prior to the filing of the verified complaint.”

“If there are matters,… documents that were left out in the drafting of the verified complaint, it is being seen here in the trial stage whether the allegations lack substance and weight,” Quicho said.

Quicho said that Enrile’s comment was just recognition of what’s happening in the trial now.

The defense team had been repeating their accusation that the prosecution was engaging in a “fishing expedition” because they had no real evidence in their hands.