SALN, TRO, FCDA and other

legal wrangles in the Senate

By Atty. John Carlo Gil M. Sadian
n every conLroversy
brougIL Lo courL,
decIsIons ure bused
on Lwo LIIngs:
IucLs und Iuw.
QuesLIons oI IucL
ure decIded on evIdence Irom opposIng
sIdes, wIIIe IeguI Issues IInge on LIe courL`s
InLerpreLuLIon oI uppIIcubIe sLuLuLes.
TIe ImpeucImenL oI CIIeI JusLIce
RenuLo Coronu generuLed severuI IeguI
conLroversIes LIuL LIe SenuLe sILLIng us un
ImpeucImenL courL Iud Lo uddress. Here
ure some oI LIe mosL conLenLIous ones:
Was the impeachment complaint
SURSHUO\YHULHG" Even beIore LIe LrIuI
sLurLed, LIe deIense quesLIoned LIe vuIIdILy
oI LIe compIuInL Ior IuIIure Lo compIy wILI
LIe requIremenL oI verIhcuLIon. SecLIon q,
RuIe ; oI LIe RuIes oI CourL requIres LIuL u
compIuInL be verIhed by un uIhduvIL LIuL
LIe uIhunL Ius reud LIe pIeudIng und LIuL
LIe uIIeguLIons LIereIn ure Lrue und correcL
oI IIs knowIedge und beIIeI.
On LIe hrsL duy oI LIe LrIuI, LIe deIense
moved Ior ouLrIgIL dIsmIssuI, urguIng LIuL
IL wus ImpossIbIe Ior 188 congressmen-
sIgnuLorIes Lo Iuve read LIe 6-puge
ArLIcIes oI mpeucImenL In jusL u Iew
Iours. n ILs very hrsL ruIIng, LIe SenuLe
courL denIed LIIs moLIon. SenuLe PresIdenL
Juun Ponce EnrIIe, presIdIng over LIe LrIuI,
suId LIe compIuInL wus properIy verIhed
uccordIng Lo House ruIes. TIe ruIIng, In
eIIecL, uIhrms LIuL LIe Iower cIumber uIone
Judging the Chief Justice
27
:NKcenSEI8KVUXZ - May 28-June 3, 2012
uddILIonuI uIIowunces Lo courL personneI.
MeunwIIIe, CIrcuIur zooq-1 sLuLes LIuL
coIIecLIon oI LIe JudIcIury Irom Iunds
enumeruLed under ILems z.1.1 und z.1.z
ubove sIuII no Ionger be remILLed Lo LIe
NuLIonuI Treusury. nsLeud, LIese sIuII be
deposILed In un uuLIorIzed governmenL
deposILory bunk us muy be deLermIned by
LIe Supreme CourL.
)XQGVIRUXQOOHGSRVLWLRQVLQWKH
Judiciary. Coronu cILed SecLIon z(),
ArLIcIe V oI LIe ConsLILuLIon, wIIcI
empowers LIe CIIeI JusLIce Lo uugmenL
uny ILem In LIe generuI upproprIuLIons
Iuw Ior LIeIr respecLIve oIhces Irom
suvIngs In oLIer ILems oI LIeIr respecLIve
upproprIuLIons. TIe reuIIgnmenL oI sucI
Iunds, IncIudIng LIose Ior unhIIed
posILIons, wus evuIuuLed In LIe SLuLemenL
oI AIIoLmenL, ObIIguLIon und BuIunces
(SAOB) Ior zo1o submILLed Lo DBM. DuLu
on suvIngs Ior zoo8 und zooq, LIougI noL
uccumuIuLed under CIIeI JusLIce Coronu,
Iud uIso been submILLed Lo Congress In LIe
zo11 budgeL IeurIng.
No evIdence wus presenLed Ior ArLIcIe V.
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28 cenSEI
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CONTENTS NATION WORLD BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY
deLermInes Iow
IL wouId IundIe
compIuInLs,
IncIudIng
verIhcuLIon.
TIe deIense
dIsugreed. L hIed
sIx peLILIons still
pendIng beIore
LIe Supreme
CourL ussuIIIng
LIe vuIIdILy oI
LIe compIuInL.
And wIIIe SenuLe
PresIdenL EnrIIe Ius repeuLedIy recognIzed
LIe CourL`s jurIsdIcLIon on IeguI Issues In
LIe LrIuI, Ie noneLIeIess expressed IIs vIew
LIuL LIe HIgI CourL cun onIy InLerIere wILI
LIe SenuLe II we commIL mIsLuke und we
become urbILrury or LyrunnIcuI or oppressIve
In our decIsIon ... BuL wIIIe we ure doIng
LIe work, In our
opInIon, no one cun
InLerIere wILI us.
How should the
SALN be made
public? PossIbIy
LIe onIy sLrong
charge against the
CIIeI JusLIce Is
LIe Second ArLIcIe
alleging that he
IuIIed Lo dIscIose
Lo LIe pubIIc
IIs sLuLemenL oI
usseLs, IIubIIILIes,
und neL worLI In
vIoIuLIon oI secLIon
1;, ArLIcIe X oI
LIe ConsLILuLIon us
weII us LIe AnLI-
GruIL und CorrupL
Practices Act
(R.A. o1q).
The charter
sLuLes: A
pubIIc oIhcer or
empIoyee sIuII,
upon ussumpLIon
oI oIhce und us
oILen LIereuILer
us muy be
requIred by
Iuw, submIL u
decIuruLIon under
ouLI oI IIs usseLs,
IIubIIILIes, und neL worLI. ... n LIe cuse oI LIe
PresIdenL, LIe VIce-PresIdenL, LIe Members
oI LIe CubIneL, LIe Congress, LIe Supreme
CourL, LIe ConsLILuLIonuI CommIssIons und
oLIer consLILuLIonuI oIhces, und oIhcers
oI LIe urmed Iorces wILI generuI or ug
runk, LIe decIuruLIon sIuII be dIscIosed Lo
LIe pubIIc In
LIe munner
provIded by
Iuw.
Since the
Supreme
CourL uIhrms
LIuL Coronu
submILLed
SANs, ArLIcIe
LIen cenLers
on LIe quesLIon:
Were LIe CIIeI
JusLIce`s SANs
dIscIosed Lo
LIe pubIIc
us requIred
by Iuw? TIe
uppIIcubIe IeguI
provIsIon Is
SecLIon 8 oI LIe

Chief Justice Corona's SALN for 2012 Interaksyon
Senate President EnriIe says the Senate wiII
'respect the TRO by the Supreme Court . the
interpreter of the Constitution and the guardian of
our basic rights' ABS-CBN

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29
:NKcenSEI8KVUXZ - May 28-June 3, 2012
Code oI ConducL und ELIIcuI SLundurds Ior
PubIIc OIhcIuIs und EmpIoyees (RA 6;1).
L recognIzes LIe pubIIc's rIgIL Lo know
LIe SANs oI pubIIc oIhcIuIs, buL proIIbILs
uccess Lo or use oI SANs Ior (1) uny
purpose conLrury Lo moruIs or pubIIc poIIcy;
or (z) uny commercIuI purpose oLIer LIun
by news und communIcuLIons medIu Ior
dIssemInuLIon Lo LIe generuI pubIIc.
WILI LIuL sLIpuIuLIon, governmenL bodIes,
IncIudIng LIe Supreme CourL, Congress,
und LIe OIhce oI LIe Ombudsmun, Iuve
seL ruIes Ior pubIIc uccess Lo SANs oI
LIeIr oIhcIuIs und sLuII. Now II HIgI
CourL procedures IImIL uccess Lo LIe CJ`s
SLuLemenLs, sIouId Ie be penuIIzed?
ndeed, under LIose guIdeIInes, Coronu
reporLedIy needs LIe upprovuI oI IIs IeIIow
jusLIces beIore mukIng IIs SAN pubIIc.
Can evidence be presented for
offenses not in the complaint? The
ProsecuLIon LrIed Lo use LIe SANs Lo sIow
unexpIuIned weuILI In vIoIuLIon oI RA
o1q. BuL EnrIIe Issued u ruIIng barring
evIdence oI III-goLLen weuILI under ArLIcIe
, becuuse LIe oIIense IL IuIIs under -
corrupLIon - Is noL umong LIose uIIeged
In LIe ArLIcIe: breucI oI pubIIc LrusL und
cuIpubIe vIoIuLIon oI LIe ConsLILuLIon.
Can the CJ and his family be
subpoenaed? On duy one oI LIe LrIuI, LIe
ProsecuLIon usked LIe SenuLe Lo subpoenu
Coronu, IIs wIIe CrIsLInu, LIeIr cIIIdren,
und u son-In-Iuw. SenuLe PresIdenL EnrIIe
ruIed LIuL subpoenus cunnoL be Issued
becuuse (1) Coronu cunnoL be compeIIed Lo
be u wILness uguInsL IImseII-SecLIon 1;,
ArLIcIe oI LIe ConsLILuLIon; (z) CrIsLInu
Coronu enjoys LIe spousuI prIvIIege under
LIe murILuI dIsquuIIhcuLIon ruIe-SecLIon
zz, RuIe 1o oI LIe RuIes oI CourL; ()
Coronu`s cIIIdren muy noL be compeIIed
Lo LesLIIy uguInsL LIeIr purenLs under LIe
purenLuI und hIIuI prIvIIege ruIe-SecLIon
z, RuIe 1o oI LIe RuIes oI CourL;
und, (q) Coronu`s son-In-Iuw Is uIso
covered by purenLuI und hIIuI prIvIIege
by necessury ImpIIcuLIon.
TIese ure busIc ruIes In evIdence desIgned
Lo uIIow IumIIy members Lo sIure
conhdences wILIouL Ieur oI beIng usked Lo
LesLIIy uguInsL one unoLIer. WIen SenuLor
AIun PeLer CuyeLuno objecLed Lo EnrIIe`s
ruIIng, u voLe wus cuIIed, und EnrIIe wus
uIhrmed by IIs coIIeugues by u voLe oI 1q-6.
1RVKLQJH[SHGLWLRQV When the
CommIssIoner oI nLernuI Revenue wus Lo
LesLIIy ubouL Income Lux reLurns (TRs) oI
Coronu und IIs IumIIy, SenuLe PresIdenL
EnrIIe sLressed LIuL LIe reIevunce oI LIe
TRs Lo LIe Second ArLIcIe musL hrsL be
sIown. He uIso remInded prosecuLors LIuL
LIeIr bucksIoL upproucI In requesLIng
subpoenus Lo produce uII sorLs oI records
wILIouL knowIng wIeLIer LIey ure oI vuIue
Lo LIe cuse, consLILuLes hsIIng unIess
sucI requesLs ure mude wILI specIhcILy.
This remInder wus repeuLed by EnrIIe
wIen LIe prosecuLIon sougIL Lo subpoenu
bunk InIormuLIon und documenLs Irom LIe
Supreme CourL.
TIe prosecuLIon expIuIned LIuL LIe
TRs wouId sIow LIuL LIe coupIe cunnoL
jusLIIy LIeIr ucquIsILIon oI expensIve
properLIes, SenuLe PresIdenL EnrIIe poInLed
ouL LIuL LIe LrIuI deuIL wILI wIuL wus
decIured or noL decIured In LIe SANs,
und LIuL wIuLever Coronu dId beIore
becomIng CIIeI JusLIce Iud no reIevunce
Lo LIe ImpeucImenL LrIuI. n sIorL, LIe
cIurge uL LIe bur Is undecIured usseLs, noL
unexpIuIned or IIIIcIL weuILI.
Judging the Chief Justice
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30 cenSEI
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CONTENTS NATION WORLD BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY
Do SALN errors constitute an
impeachable offense? AccordIng
Lo prosecuLor Rep. EIpIdIo Burzugu,
Coronu`s IuIIure Lo hII up LIe coIumn under
ucquIsILIon cosL Ior uII oI IIs SANs Irom
zooz Lo zo11 consLILuLes IuIse enLrIes
wIIcI umounLs Lo perjury und LIe
IIgIesL beLruyuI oI pubIIc LrusL. EnrIIe
LIen quIzzed Burzugu wIeLIer Ie vIews
perjury us u IIgI crIme, Lo wIIcI LIe
congressmun suId no.
TIe IeguI muxIm ejusdem generis
|IILeruIIy, oI LIe sume kInd| muy uppIy
Iere: II LIe ground Ior ImpeucImenL Is noL
umong oIIenses IIsLed In LIe ConsLILuLIon,
LIuL ground musL be u IIgI crIme oI equuI
gruvILy und
mugnILude us
LIe specIhed
oIIenses oI
cuIpubIe
vIoIuLIon
oI LIe
ConsLILuLIon,
Lreuson,
brIbery, or
gruIL und
corrupLIon. One IndIcuLIon oI severILy Is
LIe punIsImenL Ior LIe oIIenses. Treuson,
brIbery, und gruIL und corrupLIon ure cupILuI
oIIenses punIsIubIe by IIIe ImprIsonmenL.
Perjury, on LIe oLIer Iund, merILs u
muxImum oI z yeurs und q monLIs In juII.
Can a corporation undergoing
dissolution conduct business? When
LIe prosecuLIon LrIed Lo connecL LIe
revocuLIon oI LIe urLIcIes oI IncorporuLIon oI
Busu GuIdoLe EnLerprIses nc. Lo Coronu`s
11-mIIIIon Ioun Irom BGE us decIured In
his zooq SAN, Iuwyer senuLors IecLured
prosecuLors on busIc ruIes In corporuLe Iuw
reIuLed Lo u hrm`s dIssoIuLIon.
EnrIIe expIuIned LIuL upon ILs dIssoIuLIon,
BGE sLIII Ius Lo undergo IIquIduLIon.
SenuLor runcIs Escudero udded
IncorporuLors oI u dIssoIved corporuLIon
become co-owners In un ussocIuLIon LIuL
cun sLIII do busIness. SenuLor AIun PeLer
CuyeLuno urgued LIuL u corporuLIon under
process oI dIssoIuLIon cun sLIII Iend money.
Can bank accounts be divulged in
impeachment proceedings? TIe very
strict Bunk Secrecy uw (RA 1qo) proLecLs
LIe conhdenLIuIILy oI bunk deposILs,
buL IIILs IL Ior ImpeucImenL. So LIe
prosecuLIon usked LIe SenuLe Lo subpoenu
Coronu`s deposIL InIormuLIon. SenuLe
PresIdenL EnrIIe reILeruLed IIs specIhcILy
requIremenL, und prosecuLors compIIed
wILI copIes oI pupers uppurenLIy poInLIng Lo
IIs bunk uccounLs.
AILer LIe SenuLe goL execuLIves und sLuII
oI PIIIIppIne SuvIngs Bunk (PSBunk) und
Bunk oI LIe PIIIIppInes sIunds Lo LesLIIy
und submIL deposIL InIormuLIon, IL emerged
LIuL LIe bunk pupers uccompunyIng LIe
ProsecuLIon`s requesL Ior subpoenus were
noL properIy verIhed und mIgIL even be
Iuke or IIIeguIIy obLuIned. TIe quesLIon LIen
cume up: s LIe evIdence obLuIned LIrougI
u subpoenu Issued on LIe busIs oI unverIhed
or IuuILy documenLs InvuIId?
TIe SenuLe decIded Lo Ieur und see LIe
evIdence unywuy, uILIougI SenuLor MIrIum
deIense SunLIugo guve LIe ProsecuLIon
u Longue-IusIIng Ior submILLIng pupers
wILIouL knowIng LIe source or uIhrmIng
LIeIr uuLIenLIcILy, us Iuwyers ure requIred
Lo In courL. SenuLe PresIdenL EnrIIe sLressed
LIuL LIe subpoenued records were noL
necessurIIy udmILLed us evIdence sInce LIey
ure proLecLed by RA 1qo und LIe oreIgn
Currency DeposIL AcL (RA 6qz6).
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31
:NKcenSEI8KVUXZ - May 28-June 3, 2012
WIen PSBunk presIdenL PuscuuI GurcIu
LesLIhed, Ie onIy dIscussed peso uccounLs,
uILer beIng LoId by Iuwyers LIuL LIe
exempLIon Irom LIe Bunk Secrecy uw In
ImpeucImenL cuses does noL cover doIIur
uccounLs. SenuLor runkIIn DrIIon wunLed
GurcIu cILed In conLempL Ior reIusIng
Lo unswer, buL SenuLe PresIdenL EnrIIe
InsLeud ordered IIm Lo submIL u wrILLen
expIunuLIon Ior IIs reIusuI.
Should the impeachment court heed
a Supreme Court TRO? The nexL LrIuI
day, LIe Supreme CourL voLed 8- Lo
grant a Lemporury resLruInIng order on
dIscIosIng Coronu`s doIIur uccounLs wIIIe
LIe CourL Is consIderIng LIe peLILIon hIed
by PSBunk uguInsL LIe SenuLe`s subpoenu.
SenuLe PresIdenL EnrIIe LIen decIured LIuL
In deIerence Lo LIe Supreme CourL, LIe
ImpeucImenL courL und LIe purLIes musL
Luke Ieed und dIscuss Issues oLIer LIun
IoreIgn currency deposILs becuuse oI LIe
presence oI LIe TRO Irom LIe Supreme
CourL, In recognILIon oI LIe HIgI
CourL`s uuLIorILy us LIe InLerpreLer oI
LIe ConsLILuLIon und LIe guurdIun oI our
busIc rIgILs.
The Senate later voLed 1-1o Lo respecL LIe
Lemporury resLruInIng order Issued by LIe
Supreme CourL In LIe cuse hIed by PSBunk
In so Iur us LIe IoreIgn currency deposIL
uccounLs ure concerned. n expIuInIng Ier
voLe Lo ubIde by LIe TRO, SenuLor SunLIugo
urgued LIuL LIe ImpeucImenL courL Is

For TRO: (L-R, top row) Associate Justices Teresita
Leonardo-De Castro, Arturo Brion, Lucas Bersamin, Roberto
Abad, (L-R, second row) Martin ViIIarama, Jose Perez, Jose
Mendoza, and Bienvenido Reyes Supreme Court
Against TRO: (L-R) Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate
Justices Diosdado PeraIta, Mariano DeI CastiIIo, Lourdes Sereno, and EsteIa
PerIas-Bernabe Supreme Court

Judging the Chief Justice
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32 cenSEI
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CONTENTS NATION WORLD BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY
noL uImIgILy, noL ubsoIuLe, noL IIIImILubIe,
und noL more supreme LIun LIe Supreme
CourL. TIose wIo voLed uguInsL LIe TRO,
on LIe oLIer Iund, sLood by LIeIr vIew that
LIe ImpeucImenL courL Is neILIer co-equuI
nor us
high as the
Supreme
CourL.
n IIne wILI
LIIs, SenuLe
President
EnrIIe Ius
repeuLedIy
bIocked
uLLempLs
by the
prosecuLIon
und some
senuLors
Lo eIIcIL
unswers Irom wILnesses InvoIvIng doIIur
uccounLs. n one oI IIs mosL noLubIe
pronouncemenLs, LIe 8x-yeur-oId Iormer
murLIuI-Iuw deIense mInIsLer decIured
LIuL wIIIe IL Is IIs IumbIe vIew LIuL LIe
Supreme CourL cunnoL ussume jurIsdIcLIon
over LIe soIe power oI LIe SenuLe Lo Lry und
decIde LIIs ImpeucImenL cuse, IL Is sLIII
IIs duLy us presIdIng oIhcer Lo respecL LIe
Supreme CourL`s uuLIorILy Lo revIew ucLs
oI LIe ImpeucImenL courL In InLerIocuLory
muLLers or Iow LIIs courL conducLs LrIuI.
Can the Senate use the Corona waiver
to get evidence? DurIng IIs LesLImony
IusL Wednesduy, noneLIeIess, CIIeI JusLIce
Coronu sIgned u wuIver uIIowIng bunks
und ugencIes Lo dIscIose InIormuLIon
ubouL IIs usseLs. BuL Ie suId IL wouId Luke
eIIecL onIy uILer LIe 188 sIgnuLorIes oI LIe
ImpeucImenL compIuInL und SenuLor DrIIon
sIgn LIeIr own wuIvers. Two duys IuLer
IusL rIduy, Ie submILLed LIe wuIver Lo LIe
SenuLe, dIspensIng wILI IIs condILIon.
WIIIe LIuL couId Iuve been used Lo Iook
InLo Coronu`s uccounLs, LIe SenuLe In cuucus
decided that
IL couId noL
guLIer sucI
InIormuLIon,
wIIcI sIouId
be done by LIe
ProsecuLIon
and the
DeIense. TIIs
courL Is noL u
producer oI
evIdence; IL Is u
Ieurer oI IucLs,
ruIed SenuLe
President
EnrIIe. We cun
Luke noLe oI LIe
wuIver, buL we cunnoL ucL on IL.
Is the impeachment a judicial or a
political process? TIe sIgnIhcunce oI
LIese IeguI quesLIons reuIIy depends on Iow
LIe senuLor-judges wouId reIuLe LIem Lo LIe
IucLs us presenLed by boLI LIe prosecuLIon
und LIe deIense. EnrIIe Ius reILeruLed
severuI LImes LIuL LIe courL sIouId noL
judge on LIe busIs oI evIdence, und noL bow
Lo ouLsIde pressure.
TIe probIem Is LIuL senuLor-judges ure noL
onIy judges buL poIILIcuI Ieuders Loo. TIuL
meuns, wIeLIer peopIe IIke IL or noL, LIe
upprecIuLIon oI LIe LruLI In reIuLIon Lo Iuw
und vIce versu musL uIso be Lempered by LIe
reuIILy LIuL LIe ConsLILuLIon ILseII pIuced LIe
IuLe oI ImpeucIubIe oIhcIuIs In LIe Iunds oI
eIecLed Ieuders wIose prImury concern muy
noL necessurIIy be LIe LruLI or LIe Iuw, buL
LIe suLIsIucLIon oI LIeIr consLILuencIes.

On TRO against discIosing doIIar accounts, Senator
Santiago asserted that 'the impeachment court is not
aImighty, not absoIute, not iIIimitabIe, and not more
supreme than the Supreme Court' ABS-CBN
Judging the Chief Justice
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