Opinion vs CJ not evidence - lawyers

MANILA, Philippines - Lawyers of Chief Justice Renato Corona claimed yesterday that the public’s opinion is not evidence as they downplayed the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The SWS survey showed that a majority of the people think that the Chief Justice is guilty of the charges filed against him before the Senate impeachment court.

“I am sorry I cannot equate the survey results with gospel truth as the initiative is simply opinion setting. Only 12 percent supposedly of those surveyed are interested in the trial. That number may even include the die-hard detractors,” lawyer Ramon Esguerra said.

“Opinion is not proof nor evidence. It is fairer to say it is suspicion. If this pro-mob group would take to the streets that is sedition. That is the rule they want, not one of law,” he added.

Another defense lawyer Tranquil Salvador III questioned the period of the survey, which did not cover the presentation of evidence by the defense panel to the impeachment court.

“I understand that the survey covers the period from March 10 to 13, 2012. We started presentation of evidence only on March 12, 2012 so I believe that one day cannot change any perception created by the relentless negative attack on the person of the Chief Justice,” Salvador said.

“If you will recall we were able to effectively destroy their theory of ill-gotten wealth only a few days before adjournment on March 22, 2012. We were able to show that there was truly no basis in the prosecution’s claim that the CJ owns 45 properties,” Salvador said.

In the presentation of evidence, the defense panel debunked the claim of the House prosecutors that Corona had ill-gotten wealth, which supposedly included 45 properties.

It turned out that the House prosecutors had wrongfully released the alleged 45 properties to the media prior to the trial early this year.

From 45 properties, Corona’s lawyers presented before the impeachment court that their client only had five properties as correctly listed in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).

On March 21, defense lawyer Noel Lazaro grilled Land Registration Authority (LRA) administrator Eulalio Diaz Jr. over the list his office provided to the House of Representatives.

Diaz had testified that some of the listed titles were actually cancelled titles.

The list was trimmed down also after bonsai enthusiast Demetrio Vicente testified that he owned the big parcels of land in Marikina City even if he had not transferred the titles to his name two decades after he bought them from Corona’s wife Cristina.

The SWS poll, conducted from March 10 to 13, found that 63 percent of the respondents were convinced that Corona has hidden wealth based on inconsistencies in his SALNs, 12 percent unconvinced and 24 percent undecided.

The survey results were published in the newspaper BusinessWorld last Monday. Corona’s impeachment trial resumes in two weeks.

The survey result also revealed that more than half of Filipinos or 58 percent agreed that the Chief Justice had “intended to help” former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria-Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, to “flee the country, to elude the charges she is facing.” This was against the 17 percent who disagreed and the 23 percent undecided.

The survey also found 57 percent of respondents agreeing – against 14 percent disagreeing and 28 percent undecided – that “Chief Justice Corona accepted special favors like discounts in the (purchase of a) condominium and plane tickets.”

Nearly half or 46 percent agreed that “if the Senate does not convict Chief Justice Corona, then people power should be used to force him to step down.”

Such scenario was acceptable to 28 percent of respondents while 25 percent were undecided.