ANGARA: I WILL NOT ABDICATE MY CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY
AS SENATOR-JUDGE

Senator Edgardo J. Angara called the motion of the defense panel seeking his inhibition from the impeachment trial a malicious, delaying tactic that will not stop him from fulfilling his duty mandated by the Constitution.

"I consider this a constitutional task, a constitutional duty in my part to act as a judge. No argument can persuade me to inhibit because this is a duty that I will not abdicate," said Angara during his manifestation on the floor today.

He denounced the defense's malicious insinuations that the involvement of his son Rep. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" M. Angara as spokesperson of the prosecution and the recent approval the Baler-Casiguran Road Project in their province Aurora were made in exchange for his vote to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona.

"They are insinuating that my vote has already been bought," he said. "And to demonstrate how malicious this insinuation is, they say in their concluding paragraph, ' The only way, you, Senator Angara, can redeem yourself is to vote for acquittal.'

"I didn't have a hand in choosing my son to be spokesperson for the House of Representatives," he stressed. "The Baler-Casiguran Road Project was proposed three years ago, during a different administration, and will be funded by the Korean government. The only thing that happened in this administration is that it was approved by NEDA, which is required for all foreign-funded projects.

"The petitioners have the gall and the audacity to suggest that these are political favors for me. I reject that as an unthinking and illogical conclusion that serves no purpose at all, except to malign."

Angara added that the defense is only seeking to discredit the impeachment court, this not being the first time they have sought the inhibition of a Senator-Judge.

"One way or the other, we are all affiliated with one party and all of us except possibly one or two parties are all supportive of the government's program. There is no other interpretation I can read from this accusations of the defense, except to destroy the credibility of this impeachment court--destroy the one pillar of justice, the Senate, that can stand even to the Supreme Court and the President."

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile dismissed the motion of the defense saying, "I assure you none of you can sway us in one way or the other. And if you have any reason to believe that we are dishonest, say so candidly and openly and we are ready, willing, able to defend ourselves."