Prosecution invites Sereno to testify

MANILA, Philippines—The prosecution panel has delivered a letter to the office of Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, asking her to testify before the Senate for the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Speaking to reporters before Day 25 of the impeachment proceedings, Prosecutor Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares said that their lawyers personally delivered their letter which urged Sereno to testify on March 1 at 2 p.m. at the Senate.

“We said [in the letter] that we understood the difficult situation she is in, however in the interest of seeking out the truth, we think her testimony will help in resolving the issue on whether or not Chief Justice Corona was biased or partial in the issuance of the TRO [temporary restraining order],” Colmenares said.

He said the prosecution would “try our best to protect her, her rights and her dignity if she appears before the impeachment court.”

Asked why they chose to express their invitation through a letter instead of paying her a visit and speaking with her personally, Colmenares said, “A letter is enough. If we are to visit her personally, we really don’t know if she’s there. Anyway if she needs to talk to us we have our number in the letter.”

But the prosecution team also deemed important what the administrative personnel had to say about the issuance of the TRO, said the Bayan Muna Representative, expressing that they hoped the impeachment court would allow them to testify during the trial. “These are administrative matters and no longer about the deliberations [of the Supreme Court],” he said, adding that since they were not part of the deliberations, they were not covered by the high tribunal’s claim to confidentiality.

Colmenares also maintained that they would not seek help from the Malacañang to persuade Sereno to testify, saying that if she appears before the impeachment court, “it would be based on her view of the issue and not because of who spoke to her.”