Press Release
May 16, 2012

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano
Manifestation During the 39th Day of the Impeachment Trial of CJ Corona
Re: Clarificatory Questions raised to Harvey Keh and the Defense Panel

SALIENT POINTS

To Mr. Harvey Keh, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano stressed the importance of being responsible in releasing any documents or information that may adversely affect another individual's reputation.

  • "...hinihingi namin na maging responsible lahat kapag inilalabas ang mga ganitong impormasyon."

To the Defense Panel, Senator Cayetano wished to be clarified on the 'theory' that the defense is trying to present to the Impeachment Court vis-à-vis its relevance to the impeachment charges filed against Corona and the evidence already presented by the prosecution.

  • "My point is, assuming that to be true but I'm not saying it is and assuming that there is a well-orchestrated - whoever it is, politiko man o hindi, professional o hindi, bayaran o hindi - move to discredit the Chief Justice, what is its relevance vis-à-vis the evidence presented here? "

  • "Hindi ba, regardless of whether or not there is an orchestrated move to discredit the Chief Justice, the issue is whether or not he has assets that he did not declare in his SALN. "

ACTUAL MANIFESTATION

ASC: I'm equally disgusted na simula pa noong panahon ni Pangulong Arroyo, tulad noong kay Sec. Bunye, 'yung CD, anonymous din 'yon. Kaya tinanong ko kay Sen. Miriam, "sino ba ang anonymous na 'yan, bakit ang dami niyang dokumento?".

Ang problema po sa mga anonymous sources, lalo sa mga politiko, public servants, o celebrities, ang tagal-tagal buoin ng reputation. Gumawa ka ng sampung maganda, may lumabas na isang pekeng dokumento, naroon pangalan mo, nasa FaceBook, Twitter, nalagay sa isang blog, o sa radio at telebisyon, kahit ipaliwanag mo pa later on, ang hirap nang maka-recover. Kaya hinihingi namin na maging responsible lahat kapag inilalabas ang mga ganitong impormasyon.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you had clean intentions. Pero Mr. Keh, bakit kaya sa inyo ibinigay? Ano kaya ang sabi ng kung sino man ang gumawa noon? Sinabi kaya, "Dito natin ibigay kasi kaya natin itong grupo na ito." Bakit sa inyo?

Kasi, noong chairman ako ng Blue Ribbon Committee, noong Minority Leader si Sen. Pimentel, kapag may nagbigay sa amin na anonymous, we'll find a way, whether to post it, or to tell the media, "Mayroong ganito pero hindi namin ire-release. Papupuntahan namin ang abogado and we will ask them to execute an affidavit kasi kung hindi, baka 'masunog' kami."

Hindi ko sinasabing nasunog ka. Hindi ko alam kung totoo 'yan o hindi. But again, in hindsight, let me stress the responsibility. 'Yon ang point namin.

Mr. Presiding Officer, I would like to ask a question to the defense counsel, please, just to clarify.

JPE allows ASC.

ASC: Loud and clear naman po ang point ninyo kanina. But my question is: "noong ang prosecution pa ang nagpe-present, tinanong namin ang theory nila para maintindihan namin 'yung mga ebidensya na lumalabas at malaman kung ano ang kwento o theory nila. I heard you saying that the purpose for presenting this witness and previous witnesses is to show that there is a well-orchestrated plot or plan to discredit the Chief Justice. Something like that, is that correct?"

ATTY. DENNIS MANALO: Yes, your Honor. From Day 1 since we presented Cong. Tiangco, that has always been our theory, Your Honor.

ASC: My point is, assuming that to be true but I'm not saying it is and assuming that there is a well-orchestrated - whoever it is, politiko man o hindi, professional o hindi, bayaran o hindi - move to discredit the Chief Justice, what is its relevance vis-à-vis the evidence presented here?

Hindi ba, regardless of whether or not there is an orchestrated move to discredit the Chief Justice, the issue is whether or not he has assets that he did not declare in his SALN.

Or are you leading to something else in saying this? I just wanted to connect the two.

ATTY. DENNIS MANALO: Yes, Your Honor. The theory is that all the evidence presented will indicate that the Chief Justice did not disclose properties in his SALN are grossly exaggerated, unreliable, fabricated, or at the very least, Your Honor, comes from an illegal source, and therefore, Your Honor, it is our theory that the evidence will not stand legal scrutiny and will not be sufficient for the conviction of the Chief Justice.

ASC: Hindi ko po kayo pangungunahan doon dahil may ebidensya pa kayo na ipapakita doon.

I just want to make the connection that assuming even if there was a well-orchestrated move to discredit him (Corona), if there is evidence against him (with regard to the impeachment charged against him), then, still he should be convicted.

But if you're saying there is a well-planned or well-orchestrated move, plus the evidence (presented against him) are not true, then that's something else.

I just wanted to make that clear. Thank you, Your Honor.

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