Prosecution tries to link Corona to Arroyo

The prosecution panel on Monday, Day 24 of the trial, continued its attempt to link Chief Justice Renato Corona to Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo and prove that he betrayed public trust in trying to “protect” the former president.

“Midnight appointee siya ni Gng. Arroyo. He was placed there to protect her and give her the chance to escape accountability,” prosecutor Neri Colmenares told Rappler.

The prosecution is presenting evidence for Article 7, which reads: Respondent betrayed the public trust through his partiality in granting a temporary restraining order (TRO) in favor of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband Jose Migue Arroyo to give them an opportunity to escape prosecution and to frustrate the ends of justice, and in distorting the Supreme Court decision on the effectivity of the TRO in view of a clear failure to comply with the conditions of the SC’s TRO.

Prosecution presented as witness Arroyo’s personal physician Juliet Cervantes to testify that the former President was on the road to recovery at the time she sought to leave the country to seek medical treatment.

“Walang life and death urgency si Gng. Arroyo na makaalis ng bansa. Bakit napakabilis ng pag-issue ng TRO? Sabi ng doctor mismo, she is on the road to recovery,” Colmenares said.

“Sinadya niyang mag-issue ng TRO para makaalis si Arroyo sa pangamba ni Arroyo na kakasuhan na siya ng isang non-bailable offense,” Colmenares said.

“Ang allegation naming ay subordinate siya kay Arroyo,” Colmenares added.

The Senate impeachment on Monday also denied the prosecution’s request for the court to invite Supreme Court Asscociate Justice Ma Lourdes Sereno. The prosecution panel is counting on Sereno to strengthen its evidence for Article 7 of the impeachment complaint. In a dissenting opinion regarding the SC TRO on Arroyo’s travel ban, Sereno divulged how Chief Justice Renato Corona supposedly altered a conditional resolution to make it appear that it is immediately executory. 

The prosecution panel said it will still try to invite Justice Sereno. – Rappler.com