Prosecutors spooked by INC massive rally, claims defense

MANILA, Philippines—The assembly of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) faithful who flocked to the Quirino Grandstand in Manila might have prompted the prosecution to withdraw five of the eight impeachment articles against Chief Justice Renato Corona, the defense said on Wednesday.

Jose Roy III, one of Corona’s lawyers, also said the defense would immediately move for the Chief Justice’s acquittal on the five articles of impeachment, which the House prosecutors dropped from the original complaint.

“Of course,” Roy replied when asked by the Philippine Daily Inquirer if INC’s “Grand Evangelical Mission” on Tuesday had any effect on the prosecution’s decision to withdraw most of the allegations against Corona.

“If I were on the other side, I would be trembling and just puff cigarettes (and say) ‘Take me to my hacienda. I’m scared to death,'” he continued.

Rico Paolo Quicho, one of the defense spokespersons, said their decision whether or not to present their own evidence on Articles 1, 4, 5, 6 and 8 would depend on how the prosecution would formally manifest the dropping of the five charges against the Chief Justice before the Senate impeachment court.

Nonetheless, Quicho said Corona’s camp has prepared to present documentary and testimonial evidence to prove their client’s claim of innocence.

“We are prepared to present our evidence for all the eight articles (of impeachment). But it will depend on how the prosecution would like to rest their case and how they will want to word it,” Quicho said in a post-trial news briefing.

“(It could be) withdrawal, amendment, discharge or termination. It depends on what they want. We in the defense would just rely on their actions,” he added.

Told about the prosecution’s claim that it had presented enough evidence to warrant Corona’s conviction, Roy said: “I think the strongest fact is that the (impeachment) complaint is the weakest document against the Chief Justice.”

“The fact that (they) have to withdraw five (impeachment) articles says it all. The fact that Article 2 or the offense in that article has not even been defined, that itself is a problematic issue,” the outspoken defense lawyer said.

“If they withdraw the articles… that means that they were unable to establish any kind of guilt or even a probable cause (against Corona).”

He also belittled the prosecution’s statement that it had done enough to prove that Corona exhibited partiality in favor of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on the basis of Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno’s dissenting opinion.

Roy stressed that the opinion of the minority of justices in the Supreme Court was not the ruling decision of the high tribunal.

“There are 15 votes in the Supreme Court. There is no showing of any kind of partiality (on the part of Corona),” he said.

“What is their main evidence? It’s only the dissent of Justice Sereno. But even Justice Sereno knows that her dissent binds no one expect her.”

Tranquil Salvador III, also of the defense, said they would invoke a legal principle “similar to double jeopardy” if the Senate decided to acquit Corona based on the prosecution withdrawal of charges.

“If (Corona) will be acquitted of the offenses filed against him, he should not be charged for the same offenses because his acquittal only means that those charges amount to nothing,” Salvador said.