Senate won't summon SC justice

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate impeachment court will not send written interrogatories to Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and subpoena members of the Supreme Court (SC) to testify before the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

During the Senate caucus, the senator-judges maintained that the high court is an co-equal branch of the Senate and that it cannot compel justices to attend the proceedings.

The senators agreed that it would be the task of the prosecution panel to convince Associate Justice Sereno to attend the impeachment court.

Earlier, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima testified that Sereno's dissenting opinion claimed that Corona intervened in the high court's deliberation on the petition filed by former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, asking for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Department of Justice's travel ban.

During the 24th day of the impeachment trial, Presiding Judge-Senator Juan Ponce Enrile suggested to the prosecution panel to personally invite Sereno to testify to the impeachment case regarding Article 7 of the complaint.

"Sana kinausap ninyo muna iyong gusto ninyong testigo para papuntahin dito... Huwag muna ninyong gamitin ang compulsory powers ng Senate," Corona told House prosecutor, Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Neri Colminares.

As the court announces the decision arrived at during the caucus, Colminares insisted that the Senate impeachment court should issue a subpoena to Sereno to appear before the trial.

He also suggested that the contempt powers of theSenate be imposed against SC justices and personnel if a subpoena is not complied with.

However, Enrile maintained that there are internal rules of every branch of government that officials and personnel follow.

"If we issue the subpoena and she does not want to comply to it, then why should we do?" Enrile asked Colminares.

Senator-Judge Miriam Defensor-Santiago,for her part, admonished Colminares for attempting to put the Senate impeachment court in a collision course with the high court

"Counsel is putting the Senate impeachment court in direct collision course with the Supreme Court," Santiago said.

Colmenares had admitted during the trial that the prosecution did not push through with its plan that it will send an invitation to Sereno, asking her to testify at the impeachment trial.