Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Impeachment Prosecutors Unprepared, Documentary Evidence Uncertified





The lack of preparation among members of the House prosecution team cut short the second day of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s impeachment trial at the Senate on Tuesday.

“Since the prosecution is not prepared to present evidence, the Senate motu proprio suspends trial until Wednesday 2 p.m,” Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the trial’s presiding officer, ruled during the trial, which lasted for only two hours.

The impeachment trial was deferred after Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, one of the prosecutors, admitted before the Senate court that their camp did not have witnesses to authenticate “computer-generated” documents on Corona’s supposed ill-gotten assets.

“We are not presenting testimonial evidence. We are only presenting documentary evidence which are public records,” the prosecutor said on Tuesday during the trial.

Enrile told the prosecution team that the Senate impeachment court will only accept pieces of documentary that have been authenticated. “I warn you that unless the chair is satisfied that these documents have been authenticated by the present custodians of these documents, the ruling of this presiding officer will be adverse,” he said. 

Corona is currently being tried at the Senate for betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption and culpable violation of the Constitution.

(Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/244836/news/nation/corona-trial-postponed-due-to-lack-of-preparation-from-prosecution )

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