Sereno won't testify in impeachment trial after prosecution rested case
Supreme Court Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno has indicated that she could no longer testify in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona since the prosecution has already rested its case. In a letter dated February 29 and received by Rep. Neri Colmenares on Thursday (March 1), Sereno declined a request from the prosecution for her to appear before the impeachment court. Sereno, in the letter, thanked the prosecution for its invitation. "I understand, however, that the termination of the presentation of evidence by the Prosecution Panel yesterday and reiterated today before the Impeachment Court has superseded your invitation," Sereno said. The letter was not clear on whether Sereno would testify had the prosecution not rested its case. For his part, defense lawyer and spokesman Tranquil Salvador III said in a short text message: "Let us respect Sereno's view." The prosecution had used Sereno's dissenting opinions on the temporary restraining order (TRO) on the watch list order against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to prove Corona's partiality and how he tried to influence the outcome of the ruling. After the prosecution rested its case last Tuesday, impeachment proceedings were suspended for more than a week to give both camps enough time to complete the process of offering and scrutinizing the evidence so far presented. Trial will resume on March 12. Last Tuesday, the prosecution – through Colmenares – delivered their letter request to Sereno, assuring the magistrate that the panel “will strive to do its best to protect” her rights, acknowledging that her testimony will put her in a “difficult position.” “We believe that your testimony will help the impeachment court in arriving at a conclusion on the issues in relation to the charges that the chief justice acted with partiality and bias in the issuance of the TRO in favor of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” the letter read. The prosecution earlier marked as evidence Sereno’s dissenting opinion on the SC’s issuance of a TRO favoring Mrs. Arroyo, who appointed Corona to his post in 2010. Sereno is an appointee of President Benigno Aquino III, who has been critical of Corona as chief justice. — LBG, GMA News