DAY 1: CHIEF JUSTICE CORONA IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: CORONA MOTIONS JUNKED! JANUARY 16, 2012

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...

VIDEO SOURCE: GMA NEWS NETWORK

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• chief
• justice
• renato
• corona
• impeachment
• trial
• senate
• manila
• philippines
• pilipinas
• pnoy
• noynoy
• benigno aquino
• ninoy
• supreme court
• cory aquino
• richard gordon
• puno
• erap estrada
• miriam santiago
• gloria arroyo
• mikey arroyo
• fg mike arroyo
• panfilo lacson
• maguindanao
• rh bill
• reproductive health bill
• responsible parenthood bill
• pagcor
• pcso
• cbcp
• pinasism
• pinaswatcher
• sendong
• NBN ZTE

[eduardbill]

@remedialy wanna ask question, are you respected person with good moral character? parang hindi, you are in the side of thief corona, shame on you.

[eduardbill]

@edghay420 isa kang dakilang tanga na mas mabuti pang manahimik ka na lang, walang silbi ang pinagsasabi mo dahil saril mo lang wala kang maipag mamalaki.

[rosella0820]

WHY ONLY PREVIOUS ADMIN??? CHEATING HAD BEEN THERE KAHIT THE LAST ELECTION WAS VERY OBVIOUS! NAKALIMUTA NA BA NG MGA TAO ANG PATAGONG TINAPON NA MGA CHIPS AT TINAGONG MACHINES FOR THE ELECTION 2010???  THAT'S THE WORST ELECTION EVER!

[shaolinelbimbo691]

Wag natin makalimotan, the AQUITAL OF CORONA will mean, sila Gloria Aroyo, Abalos, Garcilliano, Bolante, Carlos Garcia, Ligot, etc. and even maybe the Ampatuans will all be released..THE CULTURE OF IMPUNITY WILL AGAIN REIGN ON OUR MOTHERLAND,,. that's why the Arroyos and other plunderers of the past administration are all investing in this trial...these bastards of the defense can suceed in preventing the exposure of the truth... all of us will again continue to bear the brunt of the aquital.

[JusticeForPinoys]

In order for the president to do his job cleaning up the country of corruption, he must first eliminate those that are in his way. Corona a midnight appointee is a shady judge whose credibility is shaken by allegations of corruption. Eventually his master gloria arroyo will be convicted of electoral fraud which would make gloria and all her then appointees illigitimate. Corona must go if you want to end the long time abuses of the dirty politicians.

[edghay420]

Eduardbill bat gigilna gigil kA kay corona nakakauntindi ka ba ng batas o hindi kasi parang ang hina ng iq mo bakla kaba?intimdihin mo ang batas isama mo si abnoy para mabasa ninyong dalawa sigurado ako marami silang libro dahil nanay niya ang nag ammend ng batas na itan huwag kang atat na atat manood ka nalang at intindihin ang lahat sa palagay mo taong bayan ba ang nagsampa ng kaso kay corona o si abnoy dahil sa hacienda luisita bat kailangang magdusa ang taing bayan sa kanyang paghihiganti?

[kalludi2012]

ito na cguro ang pinaka bulok na sestema ng gobernu ang guberno natin pilipinas makakita kaba ng namumuno na sila sila hindi nagkakasundo yan kasi puro pera ang nsa utak nila kaya yan nag sisiraan bawat isa nagpapakita ng kabaitan pag naririnig ng taong bayan kala mu napaka bait nila hindi pala puro kurakot din ung iba jan marami pang gawain elegal kasabwat sa kidnap, drug dealing, pangungotong lahat anjan mga matalino nga sila pero ginagamit nila ung utak nila sa pagka sinidikato

[remedialy]

Hindi na Impeachment trial ang nangyari press conference na! ha,ha ! hinayaan na nga hinayaan!

lutong macau! boinks!

[remedialy]

Uy mga fast learners na sila' natututu na kayo sa akin ha! nakaka pagos mag lectures... ajejejeje boinks!

[remedialy]

Yun na nga irrelevant at immaterial ang testimony ni sec de lima. sabi nga ng presideing judge eto na naman tayo and i quote '' let her answer anyway defense counsel you and i both knows these are hearsay'' just for the records in the journal'' ooh di ba? malinaw eh, napaka obvious ang habol kasi ng mga persecution Propaganda lang! Gungungan lang! You 're all deluded!