Defense to present case March 12—JPE By Charlie V. Manalo and Gerry Baldo 03/01/2012

Defense to present case March 12—JPE

By Charlie V. Manalo and Gerry Baldo 03/01/2012
Silence in the court, a term used by judges and justices, holds a different meaning when it comes to the recent developments in the trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona as the Senate impeachment court trial will literally go silent for at least two weeks, ending on March 12, 2012, when the CJ’s defense team, as ordered by presiding officer, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, will be presenting its case to disprove the charges leveled against Corona in the House prosecution’s articles of impeachment.

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, yesterday ordered the resumption of the impeachment trial against the Chief Justice, after giving the prosecution two days, as asked by the prosecution for its pleadings and offers of evidence while giving the defense team five days to reply and counter and object to the prosecution’s charges.

In between, the Senate court will be taking up in caucus, among other things, the defense’s motion to quash the testimonies of the Philippine Savings Bank’s officers on the bank accounts of the Chief Justice, both dollar and peso accounts, on grounds that the evidence presented by the prosecution on the bank accounts of Corona have been illegally obtained..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120301hed1.html