Noypi.ph: Defense Blocks Prosecution in Initial Hearings

Defense Blocks Prosecution in Initial Hearings
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Salma Jayne Tamano on 01/21/2012 06:32:00

President Aquino said the prosecution team will do better next week while
Senator Lacson fumes at the delaying tactics of the defense team.

During the first week of the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice
Renato Corona, the defense team was out to block any attempt of the prosecution
to present evidence proving that Corona did not include expensive properties in
his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).
On the second day of the trial (Tuesday), the lead defense lawyer, Serafin
Cuevas who was formerly a Supreme Court Associate Justice, asked about the
legitimacy of the computer-generated documents that Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga
of the prosecution was supposed to present to establish that Corona owned
expensive properties not included in his SALNs. The prosecution was then forced
to move for an adjournment,
In the following day (Wednesday), the defense team would have successfully
blocked Supreme Court Clerk of Court Enriqueta Vidal from providing Corona’s
2002-2011 SALNs but Senator Franklin Drilon was able to get an admission from
Vidal that she had with her copies of the SALNs.
Cuevas and his team continuously blocked Barzaga’s effort in submitting proof
that Corona did not include expensive properties in his SALNs on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson observed that the defense team was making a
series of objections during the initial hearings so as to delay the proceedings
and block any attempt of the prosecution to present their evidence.
According to Lacson, the trial was “consistently bogged down by so many
objections on the floor that accomplish nothing except a delay in the trial.”
“I intend to manifest next week before my co-jurors this observation, with the
sole purpose of expediting the trial while preserving due process,” Lacson
confirmed. “There must be a balance between the two concerns, and we must find
that balance.”
President Benigno Aquino III promised that by next week the House prosecutors
will do better in the said trial.
“I believe that in the coming days, we will really be able to show how easy it
is to come out with the truth,” Aquino said in a news briefing. “So our
panel will be performing much better.”
Aquino further added that the prosecutors “were able to bring out what needed
to be brought out, and place on record what needed to be placed on record.”
In hearings scheduled next week, Commissioner Kim Henares of the Bureau of
Internal Revenue will be at the witness stand where he is expected to provide
the income tax returns of Corona should the prosecution ask for it.
Corona is being tried for graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust.
photo: www.yahoo.com