Prosecution changes mind again,
won’t present Sereno anymore

JUST MOMENTS AFTER asking the impeachment court for a chance to present Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, prosecution lawyers did another about face and told the court that they would no longer seek to put Sereno on the witness stand.

Lead prosecutor Niel Tupas told the court that they were withdrawing their earlier reservation, made just minutes before, for a chance to present Sereno to the court.

Tupas had told the court today that the prosecutors had sent a letter to the office of Sereno asking her to appear before the impeachment court on Thursday, March 1.

However, Presiding Officer Juan Ponce Enrile asked why prosecutors now want to present Sereno when they had already announced to the court that they had concluded their presentation of evidence. The prosecution told the court yesterday that it was dropping five of the eight articles contained in the articles of impeachment against Corona.

Tupas said that since Sereno had not yet replied to the letter sent by prosecutors, they would like a chance to present her as a witness in the event that she agrees.

Enrile said that prosecutors only said yesterday that they were making a reservation to present more evidence on Article 2 in the event the Supreme Court finally rules on a petition to open the dollar accounts of Corona.

To this, Tupas said prosecutors now want to make two reservations, including the reservation for Sereno.

“So you are not really closing your evidence,” Enrile said. “You cannot close evidence if you still have to present witnesses. The proper thing to do is to ask for a continuance.”

After a few minutes, Tupas said the prosecutors had changed their minds and would no longer seek to present Sereno in court.