Santiago loses appeal against Corona’s bank records subpoenae

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

MANILA—Senator-judge Miriam Defensor-Santiago has failed to convince her colleagues on Wednesday to avoid presenting the bank records of Chief Justice Renato Corona before the impeachment court.

Majority of the 21 senators who were present in Wednesday morning’s caucus voted to junk Santiago’s appeal, said Senator Vicente Sotto III.

On Monday, Santiago asked the court to reconsider its decision to summon Corona’s bank records because these are only mentioned in paragraph 2.4 of Article II that accuses Corona of amassing ill-gotten wealth.

Senators earlier refused to grant the prosecution's request to lay evidence for this since Article II should only be confined on Corona’s alleged non-disclosure of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

Acting on Sotto’s manifestation, the senators left the session hall less than 30 minutes after the trial started to discuss the urgent petition filed by Corona’s lawyers before the Supreme Court.

Corona asked his fellow justices to stop the proceedings and nullify the Articles of Impeachment.

Also, the Chief Justice petitioned the High Court to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the Senate from forcing banks to produce his bank records.

In response, Senator Teofisto Guingona III said the High Court should not meddle in the affairs of the impeachment court since it is empowered by the Constitution to try and decide on cases seeking to remove high public officials.

“The impeachment process is the people’s way of making public officials accountable. The people through the Constitution reposed this power to Congress. Therefore, the Senate, as an Impeachment Court, is independent,” he said. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)