Enrile wonders if prosecution cheated to get bank subpoena

MANILA, Philippines—Was there deceit on the part of the prosecutors in the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona when they submitted unverified bank documents to the Senate?

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. LYN RILLON

This what was Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile wanted to find out from the prosecutors, who attached bank documents such as specimen signatures of Corona with the Philippine Savings Bank in their request to subpoena bank officials and records pertaining to alleged accounts of the Chief Justice.

“I’m interested to find out whether there’s deceit in the request,” said Enrile.

He refused to say however if the prosecutor would be held liable if indeed there was deceit although as the “issuing authority,” Enrile said he could revoke the subpoena requested by the prosecution team.

“Pwede. Pwede. That’s under my control as the issuing authority,” said the Senate leader.

But told about the prosecution’s own admission in their request for the issuance of subpoena to bank officials and records that the attached documents came from anonymous source, Enrile said he would rather not comment on it so as not to hurt anyone’s feelings.

“If I’m going to discuss that may masasaktan because I’m not born yesterday,” he said, “’I’m telling you, if I will pursue the question and cross examine, I’m sure that they can bring out the truth.”

But when asked again if the Senate was also at fault for approving the subpoena without reviewing the attached documents, Enrile said, “We presumed good faith but it’s the responsibility of the party asking the help of a court to see to it that the ethics of the profession must always be there to guide.”

Enrile said it should be the Senate clerk of court, who should review the documents being submitted to the chamber.

“But I will not pass the buck. I assumed responsibility for issuing the subpoena. But I have no time to go beyond and I did not expect the witness to say what she said,” he said, referring to Anabelle Tiongson, branch manager of PSBank in Katipunan, Quezon City, who testified that the documents of the prosecution were fake .

The Senate has given the prosecutors until this Tuesday to submit a written explanation on how they got the bank records of Corona.