Contempt raps sought vs impeachment prosecutors

MANILA, Philippines - A member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) urged the Senate impeachment court yesterday to cite in contempt the 11-member prosecution panel of the House of Representatives in the trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Fernando Perito said he filed the motion in his personal capacity as he slammed the House prosecution panel for releasing information on the P14-million penthouse unit owned by Corona and his wife at a condominium in Taguig City. Corona has admitted ownership of the unit but said the purchase was aboveboard.

“I believe they should respect the rules of impeachment set by the Senate,” Perito said.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said the court would look into Perito’s petition as well as the petition for a preliminary hearing filed by Corona once the court convenes this Monday.

“We talked about the sequence of the proceedings earlier. We agreed on that and what issues we will dispose of first because there are motions filed by some of the parties and some outside parties,” Enrile said.

He said the senator-judges will resolve through voting Corona’s petition for a preliminary hearing, which is focused on verification of the eight articles of impeachment.

“The motion of the Chief Justice on preliminary hearing, we will dispose that through voting,” he said. “I am not yet going to comment on the substance on what we are going to do.”

In a five-page urgent motion, Perito said he is “appalled by the irresponsible behavior of the members and the lead counsel of the prosecution.”

He argued that members of the prosecution team led by Rep. Niel Tupas violated Section 18 of the impeachment rules when they held a press conference and showed documents on Corona’s Bellagio unit in a bid to bolster part of the complaint on the Chief Justice’s non disclosure of his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

“(Prosecutors had) relentless thirst for media exposures to demonize their prey, the Chief Justice,” Perito said, calling Tupas and the other members as a “bunch of eager prosecutors.”

“(Prosecutors) should be cited for indirect contempt of court even as they be ordered to stop from poisoning the public with their now awkward position. It only reflected the weakness of their evidence though they persist,” he wrote in his motion.

Perito particularly mentioned Tupas, Marikina Rep. Romero Federico Quimbo, Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza and eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone.

Preparing for the big day

As this developed, Enrile inspected the Senate session hall late yesterday afternoon to determine if the seats provided for the prosecution, defense lawyers and senator-judges are well placed and visible to the presiding judge on top of the podium.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Gregorio Honasan accompanied the Senate president, who will sit as presiding judge.

As mandated under the Constitution, the presiding judge cannot be substituted.

The Senate President also had a brief meeting with the senators and members of the Senate secretariat led by lawyer Lilia Reyes, as part of their preparations for the actual impeachment proceedings next week.

The Senate impeachment court is expected to rule first on the motion of the defense lawyers for a preliminary hearing on alleged constitutional defects in the “verified complaint” filed by the congressmen.