Senate votes to abide by Supreme Court injunction

Monday, February 13, 2012

MANILA (Updated 4:27 p.m.) -- The Senate voted on Monday afternoon to abide by a Supreme Court injunction barring the disclosure of the details of Chief Justice Renato Corona's dollar accounts with Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank).

Voting 13-10, the impeachment court decided to hold in abeyance its subpoena on Corona's dollar-account records. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said, however, that the Senate reserves the right "to vigorously defend" the basis for the subpoena it issued last week.

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Enrile said the Senate asserts that it has the sole power to try and hear impeachment cases and that respecting the Supreme Court order does not take away its right "to defend the legal and public policy basis underlying the subpoenas."

Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Manuel Villar Jr., Ralph Recto, Francis Escudero, Aquilino Pimentel III, Loren Legarda, Gregorio Honasan II, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. voted to abide by the TRO. Senate President Enrile, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, and Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III also voted with the majority.

The senators who voted to disregard the TRO were Senators Franklin Drilon, Sergio Osmena III, Edgardo Angara, Panfilo Lacson, Pia Cayetano, Francis Pangilinan, Antonio Trillanes IV, Manuel Lapid, and Teofisto Guingona III. Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano also voted against respecting the Supreme Court order.

Defense lawyer Jose Roy III had earlier told senators that Corona will disclose his bank details "in due time." (Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex)