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Corona himself went on a media blitz, asserting he was willing to testify and to explain the omissions and misdeclarations in his SALNs. Specifically, he volunteered to open last week his dollar deposits. He branded as “lies” the revelations of Ana Basa and Sr. Flory Basa impugning his character and fitness as chief magistrate. He also vowed to respect the Senate, humbly saying: “When I submitted myself to the Senate from the start I trusted our senators, that they will do their duty. Whatever verdict they will have, I will accept.”
Despite these solemn avowals, Corona’s lawyers said – in response to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV – that they have as yet found no necessity for the Chief Justice to testify or to open his dollar deposits. Instead, they have repeatedly asked for the summary dismissal of the case, first at the start of the trial and the latest, prior to the presentation of their evidence. In fact, they also filed in the Supreme Court a petition on Feb. 8 and a supplemental petition on Feb. 13 to nullify the impeachment complaint and the entire Senate proceedings.
While Corona tries to convince the public of his readiness to testify, to open his dollar accounts, to submit to the Senate and to accept whatever be its verdict, his lawyers seem to avow the opposite. In fine, they insist that the Senate proceedings are void from the beginning and should be junked. How our people and their alter egos, the senators, will view this dichotomy or conflict between the political and legal postures of the respondent and his lawyers remains to be seen.
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Comments to chiefjusticepanganiban@hotmail.com
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