By Lilybeth G. Ison
On Day 40 of the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona on Tuesday, the House of Representatives' prosecution team warned the chief magistrate against using the defense of selective prosecution, saying this legal strategy won't work for someone who is widely perceived to be guilty of the impeachment charges filed against him.
"It would be lamentable if the chief justice would insist on his claim that he is being singled out for prosecution for his failure to declare all of his assets while others similarly situated are not being prosecuted," said prosecution spokesman Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara.
Angara said it would be better if the chief justice would answer each and every allegation hurled against him, particularly the multimillion-peso and dollar deposits and expensive condominiums that he either misdeclared or did not declare at all.
He said Corona's repeated claim of selective prosecution was not an acceptable defense.
"Invoking concerns about selective prosecution is not a good legal strategy because the courts won't acquit a thief who claims he's the only thief in the world," the Aurora solon said.
House Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo "Erin" Tanada III, meanwhile, said the prosecution team was ready to accept whatever verdict the senator-judges would hand down after hearing the chief justice's testimony, and hoped the chief magistrates and his supporters would do the same.
"We will accept whatever decision the impeachment court will hand down. I think acceptance of the decision, depending of course on what the explanation will be, is a sign of maturing democracy," he said.
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