THE defense team of beleaguered Chief Justice Renato Corona yesterday failed to identify the supposed source of their information that Malacañang had tried to bribe some senator-judges with P100 million in exchange for rejecting the Supreme Court order preventing the opening of the dollar deposits of the chief magistrate.

Jose Roy III, one of Corona’s counsels, told senator-judges that they could not identity the person from whom they got the supposed information that Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa had tried to dangle the money to some senators to vote against the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order barring the impeachment court to compel the Philippine Savings Bank to submit Corona’s dollar bank statements.

“I simply do not have a name (of the concerned senator) for you because we have none that was given to us,” said Roy in reply to the query of Sen.Antonio Trillanes IV on the identity of the supposed senators whom Ochoa allegedly tried to bribe.

Senator-Judges Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, and Anotnio Trillanes IV scolded the defense team for putting the impeachment court in a tight situation.

“The information we received has nothing to do with the identity of the senators,” added Roy as he apologized to the impeachment court for the “discomfort” the issue  had caused the senator-judges.

Pia asked her colleagues to remind the defense team that “it is their duty to uphold the dignity and authority of the court, to which it owes fidelity not to promote distrust in the administration of justice.” 

“I don’t want to speculate as to the reason for the defense panel for coming out with this incredulous statement but I challenge you the defense panel to name your so-called ‘source.’ Pangalanan ninyo kung sino at nang sa ganon ay hindi tayo nanghuhula. Magpakalalaki tayong lahat dito. Dahil itong ginagawa namin ay hindi biru-biro lamang. Ang kinabukasan, ang ikasasama o ikabubuti ng ating bansa ang nakasalalay ditto,” Estrada said.

Upon the motion of Estrada and Trillanes, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the impeachment court’s presiding officer, instructed Corona’s defense team to explain in writing, until Friday, why they should not be cited in contempt.