Impeachment court to deliberate on inviting Justice

MANILA – Senator-judges will deliberate Monday on whether to invite a Supreme Court (SC) associate justice to testify on deliberations in the grant of an injunction on a government travel restriction on Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Prosecutors see testimony from SC Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno as a "nail in the coffin" for impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Prosecutors want SC justice to testify in Corona trial

MANILA – The prosecution panel will file a motion on Monday asking the impeachment court to invite Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in the trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

A senator-judge, meanwhile, proposed to send Sereno written questions to substantiate alleged irregularities in the Corona-led Supreme Court's decision to block a watch-list order against Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Enrile: They can ask me to inhibit

THE House prosecution panel can ask Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to stay away from proceedings if it feels offended at being lectured at, the senate leader said Wednesday.

"They can ask for my exclusion. I’d gladly give it to them. I’ll gladly give it to somebody that will handle it. They do not want to appear before me, they can tell the Senate to withdraw me as presiding officer," he told reporters.

Defense: De Lima says little

MANILA – Justice Secretary Leila de Lima testified for around two hours at the impeachment trial of Chief Justice (CJ) Renato Corona on Wednesday, but defense lawyers said she gave little more than a narration of facts.

Defense spokesman and lawyer Tranquil Salvador III said de Lima was only able to testify on the events surrounding the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) on a Justice department order to keep Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the country.

Impeachment court 'too strict, inconsistent in rulings'

MANILA -- The prosecution panel criticized the Senate impeachment court for acting like a criminal court after it denied the presentation of a material witness to prove allegations in Article 3 of the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile disallowed the prosecution panel to present Enrique Javier, vice president of the Philippine Airlines' (PAL) sales department, in Tuesday's trial.

Lawyers: Corona did not 'own' Columns unit until 2009

OWNERSHIP of a unit at The Columns, a posh condominium in Makati City, was transferred to Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2009 "when he took actual possession," his lawyers said Thursday in a legal memorandum it submitted to the Senate.

Citing the Civil Code, lawyers Serafin Cuevas, Jose Roy III, and Dennis Manalo, said "ownership does not pass by mere stipulation, but only by delivery."

Prosecution had bank records prior to 'small lady'

MANILA (Updated) -- An administration lawmaker approached the Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) in January bringing copies of a signature card allegedly of Chief Justice Renato Corona's peso and dollar accounts, a bank representative told the Senate Thursday.

PSBank Katipunan branch manager Annabelle Tiongson, who again testified before the Senate impeachment court Thursday, said Quezon City Representative Jorge "Bolet" Banal approached and showed her photocopied documents that the prosecution said was given to it by an anonymous "small lady" a few days later.

Prosecution insists: Documents ‘authentic’

MANILA -- Prosecutors insisted Wednesday that the documents attached to their request to subpoena Chief Justice Renato Corona’s dollar accounts were authentic, adding the bank representatives were “very evasive” in answering questions on the authenticity of such records.

The prosecution panel submitted to the Senate impeachment court Wednesday its written explanation on the authenticity of the bank documents attached to its subpoena, after PSBank bank officials told the court that the documents seemed “fake”.

Local sports officials 'responsible' for Cebu boxer's safety

MANILA -- Philippine sports officials were remiss in ensuring the safety of Cebu-based boxer Johnriel Casimero, who was mauled in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after besting a local favorite, a senator said Wednesday.

"The least that government can do for our athletes in general is to show that they have our support. We ask them to carry our flag and compete with the highest possible degree of sportsmanship and excellence while representing our country. Government should be able to ensure their safety," Senator Francis Escudero said after the Senate adopted a resolution to recall Philippine Ambassador to Argentina Rey Carandang over the incident.

Premature to throw out bank records, prosecutors say

MANILA -- Documents of Chief Justice Renato Corona's bank accounts should still be admitted as evidence by the Senate impeachment court despite doubts on the provenance and authenticity of photocopies that House prosecutors attached to their request to subpoena the records, the panel said.