Senate starts impeachment trial
Posted on
January 16,
2012 03:17:42 PM
THE SENATE has formally begun on Monday the impeachment trial against
Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Mr.
Corona arrived at the Senate early, accompanied by his wife,
Cristina, and his two children.
The senator-judges entered the session hall at past 2 p.m.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who sits as presiding officer, formally started the proceedings.
"We convene as a body as jurors to try and render judgment on the chief justice of the
Supreme Court filed at the Senate by 188 members of the
House of Representatives.," Mr.
Enrile said in his opening speech.
"The task at hand is a constitutional mandate and duty, which we have no reason to delay," he continued.
Former
Chief Justice Serafin Cuevas, who heads Mr. Corona's defense panel, was the first to take the stand to give an opening speech. He stressed Mr. Corona's stand that 'he is not guilty', and that the embattled chief justice was denied of due process.
Mr. Cuevas explained that an impeachment complaint must be verified and there must be determination of probable cause prior to its signing the complain. He claimed that since the Chief Justice wasn't informed and was not given notice and proper preliminary hearing, he is therefore denied due process.
"
Due process is not only required by law, but also by the
Constitution. [
The Chief Justice] is therefore entitled to due process; he is entitled to notice and [preliminary] hearing," Mr. Cuevas said.
Representing the prosecution team, Rep. Niel
N.C. Tupas (5th district,
Iloilo) also took the stand and presented the panel's argument. He asserted that the House of Representatives verified the complaint and that it has exclusive power to initiate the impeachment.
In his opening speech, Mr. Tupas discussed the prosecution's allegations that Mr. Corona amassed ill-gotten wealth during the term of former
President now
Pampanga Rep.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd district).
"CJ Corona bartered away for pot of porridge independence and honor of Supreme Court," he said, proceeding to enumerate the properties allegedly owned by the chief magistrate.
"Hindi na natin dapat ipagkatiwala ang pinakamataas na posisyon ng hudikatura kay Corona (We should no longer entrust the highest judicial position to Corona)," he said.
Motions denied
After presenting before the impeachment court the opening statements of both the prosecution and defense panels, the impeachment court then addressed motions filed by both parties.
The court denied Mr. Corona's motion for preliminary hearing to discuss the verification of the impeachment complaint signed by 188 congressmen last Dec. 12 "for lack of merit."
It, likewise, denied the following motion to cite the prosecutors in contempt for premature disclosure of evidence filed by lawyer
Fernando P. Perito as it was filed by a private citizen.
The trial was adjourned at 3:37 p.m.
Sought for comment,
Jose M. Roy
III, one of the legal counsel's of Mr. Corona, said in an ambush interview that they were "unhappy with [the impeachment court's] decision" to deny their motion for preliminary hearing.
He, however, said it was fair for the court to "draw everyone's attention to exercise caution on the merits of the case."
"That is part of litigation; we don't expect everything to go our way," Mr. Roy said.
For his part, prosecution head Mr. Tupas said in a press briefing that the prosecution team had anticipated what happened.
"We had prepared for this for days, and at least, what happened today was good," he said.
Moreover, he added that the prosecution team will present "at least two" witnesses before the impeachment court.
The Senate earlier in the day cut short the plenary session and adjourned to prepare for the start of the impeachment trial that afternoon.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III said over the weekend that the chamber is eyeing to conclude the trial before the summer recess on March 23.
Session will resume on May 7 until June 7.
The impeachment trial will resume tomorrow,
January 17, at 2 p.m. -- ASOA
Source:
http://www.bworldonline.com/content
.php?section=
Nation&title;=Corona's-impeachment-trial-starts&id;=45095
VIDEO SOURCE:
GMA NEWS NETWORK
- published: 16 Jan 2012
- views: 90298