Prosecution to ask for SALNs of Corona, kins

MANILA, Philippines – The prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona is expected to tackle the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth and members of the defendant and his family, according to a spokesperson.

Maria Valentina Cruz said the prosecution panel, headed by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., has already submitted requests for subpoena for Corona and members of his family to submit their respective SALNs.

"There are also request for subpoena to the SC Clerk of court and the city assessors office," Cruz said in a media briefing at the Senate building in Pasay City.

Prosecutors have requested for the documents such as SALNs to prove their allegations that Corona and members of his family have failed to filed the documents and pay the correct taxes for the real properties.

 Aside from the government employees, Cruz said Cabinet members, such Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares, would be requested to appear in the hearing.

As this developed, Cruz said the senator-judges cannot pass his two minutes of questioning to another senator-judge during the court proceedings.

"During the caucus yesterday, that was discussed and they agreed that a senator cannot pass on his two minutes to another senator and this two minutes is only for the question...I think they also have the option of submitting the question to the presiding officer if they don't want to ask that question because that is provided under the rules of impeachment," she said.

Cruz added that presiding judge and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is also expected to clarify the limitation of the participation of the private prosecutors.

"The Senate President yesterday said private prosecutors aren't allowed and he said that it would be with respect to the presentation of evidence but legal argumentation should be left to the public prosecutors. But i supposed that the senate president can clarify his statement because there is a motion already filed by the counsel of the Chief Justice suppose he will clarify what he meant by that," Cruz said.

She said while there is no particular deadline to present their witnesses, the prosecutors and the defense lawyers should submit the request three days before that person would be subpoenaed by the court.

"We are requesting the parties to give us at least three days before the date they want to present the witness na they have to file the request three days before so that we can act upon...we will issue the subpoena and will have to serve that to the person it is directed to so more or less to assure that person will have time to make himself or herself available for the hearing," Cruz said.

Meantime, the defense team opposed the request of the prosecution to subpoena the wife and children of Corona in the impeachment trial.

In a television interview, lawyer Karen Gemino, spokesperson of Corona, said the prosecution was on its desperate move to force the Chief Justice to resign as the trial goes on.

"(They) are resourcing all types of methods to pressure him to resign," she reiterated, while condemning the prosecution for engaging "below the belt" attacks.

"His family is expected to feel bad about it. They would not only want impeach him, but want to force him to resign as well," she added.