The Corona Impeachment Trial: Court prevents camps from disclosing docs

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The Senate impeachment court reminded the defense and prosecution panels to prevent from disclosing documentary evidence to the media in the ouster proceeding against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

On the seventh day of the hearing today, Presiding Senator-Judge Juan Ponce Enrile reminded both panels to keep evidence presented in court confidential.

"Do not discuss merits (of the case) in public," Enrile pointed out.

This after Senator-Judge Joker Arroyo noted that the tax records of Corona are not yet public documents because they have not yet been offered to the court.

Copies of the tax records of Corona, including his statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN), were already proliferating in the Internet and various media outfits.

"No matter how public the impeachment trial is, rules of secrecy must be followed. No exceptions. Order must be maintained," Arroyo pointed out.

Senator-Judge Pia Cayetano supported Arroyo's statement, saying, "I constantly see people flashing documents."

With the issue at hand, Enrile said: "We must not unnecessarily create impression in the minds of public that this is already admitted evidence."

For his part, defense lead counsel Serafin Cuevas accused the prosecution of violating the secrecy rule of the Corona trial, adding that prosecutors should stop discussing the merits of impeachment case in public.

Prosecution has denied of publicly releasing evidence not yet offered before the court.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC:
This post is not intended to violate copyright infringement law, this post originated from http://www.philstar.com