MANILA, Philippines—The Senate impeachment trial of Supreme Court
Chief Justice Renato Corona has resumed with the prosecution expected to
tackle first his alleged failure to disclose his statement of assets,
liabilities and net worth.
The Senate acting as an impeachment court resumed at around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the second day of Corona’s impeachment trial. It turned down the prosecution team’s request to subpoena the
Chief Justice, wife and family members and require them to appear
before the impeachment trial.
“This court resolves to deny the request,” said Senate Secretary
Emma Lirio Reyes, who sits as clerk of court, reading from the
prepared ruling of the Senate on Tuesday.
Corona’s camp objected to the prosecution’s move to subpoena Corona
and some family members when it filed an eight-page opposition before
the Senate.In their opposition, Corona’s lawyers argued that the wife and their
children should not be compelled to testify in the trial citing the
principle of “spousal privilege” and the constitutional provision on
“parental and filial privilege” respectively.
Some of the 45 properties submitted by the prosecution in the Senate
were in the names of Corona and his wife, children and in-laws. But in a
speech Monday, the Chief Magistrate admitted to owning only five of
them.
Corona’s alleged failure to disclose his SALN was one of eight
articles of impeachment filed against him by 188 members of the House of
Representatives.
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento