Defense seeks reconsideration

MANILA, Philippines - The camp of Chief Justice Renato Corona said they would seek a motion for reconsideration on the ruling of the impeachment court to issue subpoenas for the alleged bank accounts of Corona.

Retired Supreme Court associate justice Serafin Cuevas, lead counsel for the defense, yesterday said that it must first be established that the bank deposits have something to do with the impeachment case.

“If the bank deposits have nothing to do with the impeachment case, the mere fact that it is involved in the impeachment proceeding does not justify any court of justice to rule against the rule of privacy,” Cuevas said in his manifestation after the ruling was read in court.

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court and acting on the request for subpoena of the prosecution panel, cited the impeachment proceeding as an exception to the rule on confidentiality of information on banking accounts, including foreign currency deposits. 

Sen. Francis Escudero pointed out that the prosecution and defense panels cannot on their own seek a motion for reconsideration on rulings of the impeachment court.

Escudero said that only senator-judges may question the ruling and seek a motion for reconsideration.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said that the documents to be presented tommorow would not be automatically admitted as evidence by the court.

He said the court would determine this once the prosecution presents the documents.