MANILA, Philippines - The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, may already come out with a verdict on the impeachment case of Chief Justice Renato Corona next week.
This, after Corona failed to appear before the impeachment court on Wednesday afternoon. Corona was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday night and confined at the intensive care unit of the Medical City early Wednesday for possible heart attack.
Enrile ruled that the defense team can present Corona and its evidence for the defense of the chief magistrate until 2 p.m. Friday.
"If you do not submit your evidence we will consider the matter submitted on the record," Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, sitting as presiding judge of the impeachment court, told defense lead counsel Serafin Cuevas.
Despite Corona's non-appearance at the Senate, Enrile said the impeachment court will still consider the testimony statement of the chief justice and will keep it in the records, contrary to his previous threat to strike out the testimony if Corona fails to return to the witness stand.
"We will consider the case submitted on the basis of evidence presented," he said.
Enrile also directed the prosecution and defense panels to prepare for the oral arguments on Monday. He said both panels will be given one hour each for their arguments.
According to the rules, the prosecution will open the arguments followed by the rebuttal of the defense panel. The closing remarks will be done by the prosecution.
Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said that the Senate may render judgement on the impeachment case after the oral arguments on Monday or the following day.
Enrile said each senator will be given two minutes each to announce and explain their votes.
No supporting documents
Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano asked Cuevas during the hearing if the defense panel would submit documents that will support the claims made by Corona during yesterday's hearing.
Cayetano suggested that it would be better if the defense would submit documentary evidence on Corona's claims so the senator-judges could have wider reference for their verdict.
Cuevas, however, said that they are not planning to submit documentary evidence.
"The testimony here made [by Corona] yesterday will lie entirely on his credibility," the lead counsel for the defense said.
Corona denied that he maintained 84 dollar and 31 peso accounts. He also reiterated that he only have five properties, contrary to the prosecution's claim that he had 45.
He claimed that he had been maintaining dollar deposits since the late 1960s. He said he only had four dollar accounts.
The chief magistrate also said that he only has three peso accounts contrary to the claim of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. He said that he did not declare the peso accounts because its deposits are co-mingled funds from the members of his family.
Corona ended his testimony by signing a waiver to authorize banking institutions and the government to scrutinize and make public the details of his peso and foreign currency accounts.
However, he said that he would only allow the scrutiny of his bank accounts if the 188 congressmen who signed his impeachment and Sen. Franklin Drilon will sign similar waivers.
The chief magistrate then asked to be excused and walked out of the Senate session hall. He, however, was prevented by the Senate security from leaving the legislative compound as he has not been properly discharged as a witness by the impeachment court.
He later turned up in a wheelchair and his lawyers claimed that he had to abruptly leave the session hall because he did not want to throw up and collapse in the Senate floor.
He allegedly suffered from hypoglycemia. He would later be rushed to the Medical City and confined at the hospital's intensive care unit for strict monitoring due to a possible heart attack.
Under sedation
Cuevas told the impeachment court that defense lawyers were unable to talk to Corona, whom he said was under sedation, and ask the chief magistrate personally if he was willing to return to the Senate today.
He said Corona's wife, Cristina, and children assured the defense lawyers that the chief magistrate is willing to be cross-examined as soon as he recovers.
Cuevas said Corona may be able to return to the Senate by Monday, but said that the chief magistrate may not be "physically and mentally" fit to take the witness stand again.
Enrile issued the deadline to the defense and made declarations about the schedule of the oral arguments after Cuevas told him that they could not assure the date when Corona will be well enough to return for the direct and cross examinations.
The presiding judge said that the ruling is final and "cannot be reconsidered by anyone."