MANILA, Philippines – The Senate impeachment court will not act on the request of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s camp to remove Senator-judge Franklin Drilon from the trial for his alleged bias for the prosecution panel.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the court’s presiding officer, said it’s up to the person being asked to inhibit himself to decide whether he will still participate in the trial or not.
“We will not act on that. I don’t know if they want to discuss it. I will not even present that to the members of the court,” he told reporters on Friday, referring to the defense panel’s motion to inhibit Drilon.
Drilon has said he will not inhibit himself from the impeachment trial.
Enrile said not even the impeachment court can remove Drilon.
“He’s an elected representative of the people. Under the Constitution, he’s entitled to sit in all proceedings in the Senate unless he’s removed in accordance with our rules on ethics,” Enrile said.
“The inhibition is personal to each senator of the republic,” he added.
The defense asked for Drilon’s inhibition because he allegedly helped the prosecution by using his authority to question witnesses in at least two instances: First, when he made the Supreme Court clerk of court admit that she had with her copies of Corona’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, which she eventually turned over to the Senate; and second, when he made a registrar of deeds confirm that Corona acted as attorney-in-fact for his daughter when she bought a property.
Enrile said senators are free to ask any kind of question, and that he may not restrict them.
“You cannot guide them how to ask their questions. They can ask leading questions. They can ask vague questions if they want,” he said.Ryan Chua, ABS-CBN News
Enrile reminds senator-judges to ‘control emotions’
Enrile on Friday reminded his fellow senator-judges in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Corona to control their emotions during the proceedings.
Enrile was reacting to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s outburst on Thursday, when she had to go home because of hypertension after berating a member of the prosecution panel on the Senate floor.
“I would like to caution my colleagues to exercise greater civility in dealing with the witnesses, with the lawyers on both sides, as well as with one another in the Senate,” said Enrile, the impeachment court’s presiding officer. “As much as possible we should control our emotions so that we can perform our work in such a manner that there’s no impression that we are for or against anyone.
He added, however, that he understands Santiago’s situation. “She is suffering from some ailment. If you are in that condition, your threshold of stress is very shallow.”
In his case, Enrile said he tries his best to relax and not to be angry or during the trial.
He said he doesn’t feel any stress even if he has to sit long hours and maintain order in the court.
“Sanay ako diyan,” Enrile told reporters. “‘Pag napipikon ka sa husgado, talo ka.”–Ryan Chua, ABS-CBN News
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