Miriam decries prosecution’s ‘political circus’

SENATOR Miriam Defensor-Santiago yesterday rebuked the House prosecution panel for trying to turn the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona into a “political circus” when they allegedly submitted to the Senate, sitting as impeachment court, fake dollar bank documents of the Supreme Court head.

A visibly irked Santiago stood up to address the prosecution panel to express her disgust at them for allegedly attaching fake dollar account papers of Corona to justify their request to the impeachment court to compel the Philippine Savings Bank (PS Bank) to produce the original copies of the chief magistrate’s dollar deposit documents.

“I know that I said that impeachment trial is both quasi-judicial and quasi-political. But you can’t tamper with the rules of court. Come on. Wake up! Not because we admit that the impeachment trial is quasi-judicial and quasi-political, you can turn it into a completely political circus,” Santiago said.

She even said that in extreme cases, a lawyer can be disbarred, as punishment, by the Supreme Court if he or she is proven guilty of submitting fake document in any court proceeding. “Ganyan katindi (ang parusa) ‘pag nagbigay ka ng peke (na dokumento).”

She described as “strange, bizarre” the dollar bank documents of Corona, which included his specimen signature cards. “Can a counsel attach a document about which he knows nothing? Iyun ang issue. Ano ‘yun. That is only a scrap of paper. Why don’t you go back to your law books? Can you allege something in open court that you have information but based only on anonymous source?” Santiago stressed.

Addressing the House prosecution panel, Santiago said: “If I were a trial court I will cite you in contempt.” She also rejected the explanation given by the House prosecution panel that they are duty bound to seek the original copies of Corona’s dollar account papers after they received an anonymous information about the existence of such documents.

“Duty my foot! It is your liability. You’re a disgrace to the judicial system. Maski ‘di mo sinadya ‘pag na introduce mo ‘yan as evidence may pananagutan ka rin pala for failure to exercise greater care. Kasi nalilito kami,” the feisty senator said as she cited a case wherein a lawyer was suspended for three years for submitting fake evidence in a court trial. 

Santiago, a former Quezon City trial judge, had to go home after castigating the prosecution panel since her blood pressure again shot up  to 160/70.

In a chance interview before going home, Santiago said:”Halos atakihin ako (sa puso) dahil ang pinag-uusapan kanina ay ang sinabi ng opisyal ng bangko kahapon tungkol sa ipinakita na ebidensya tungkol daw sa dollar bank accounts ni Chief Justice.  Noong ipinakita kahapon ng bank manager, ang sabi niya hindi totoo iyan at mga peke iyan at hindi kamukha ng mga orihinal na dokumento. Bakit pa kami nag-issue ng subpoena?” 

“Ang natuklasan ko ganito: Una, ang sabi nila mayroong babae na nagbigay ng impormasyon sa amin tungkol dito sa secret accounts na ito.  Hindi pwedeng magbigay ka ng subpoena na ang sinabi lang ng abugado ay ‘merong nagbulong lang sa akin.’  Hearsay evidence iyon,” she said.

She added: “Anong klase iyan? Galit na galit ang ating batas sa ganung klaseng ebidensya, na sabi nga sa ating Saligang Batas mismo, na kapag sobra na ang publicity o trial by publicity sa labas ng courtroom, dapat palitan na ang lugar dahil na-poison na ang mga isipan ng mga tao tungkol diyan. Wala nang fairness iyon. Ang change of venue is allowed in our Constitution itself, not just a law.” 

“Kaya kung ganoon na kino-consider pala natin ang kung ano ang sinasabi sa media, mag-isip-isip muna tayo. Aabot ba tayo sa katarungan nito? Ayaw na ayaw ng judicial system na apektado ang mga nangyayari sa korte ng mga pinagsasabi-sabi sa labas niyon, lalo na meron tayong rule of sub judice: habang bini-bisita ang mga tao, huwag kang magsasabi kung sino ang mananalo at kung sinong tama. Ang pwede mo lang sabihin ay kung ano ang nangyari. Hindi ka pwedeng maglagay ng opinyon mo. Galit na galit ako dahil  sa tingin ko masyado nang maraming nalalabag,” she said.