Press Release
February 23, 2012

Transcript of Ambush Interview of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

On the impeachment trial of CJ Corona

Q Sa motion po ni Sen. Trillanes, paki-clear po?

SP We will take it up in the caucus.

Q Ano po yung nature?

SP Interrogatory. Ibig sabihin nun, padadalhan ng written questions yung mga justices to answer.

Q Pakipaliwanag po yung ruling sa hearsay?

SP Doon sa ruling ko, yung dissenting opinion, I authorized it to remain in the record as a part of the testimony of the witness, the Secretary of Justice. Now, whether what Justice Sereno said in her dissenting opinion, is true or not, is hearsay as far as the Secretary of Justice is concerned because she was not there when those things happened. She is not competent to testify on them as a matter of her personal knowledge. She is only deriving her knowledge from the statement of Justice Sereno as written in her dissenting opinion.

Q Ano ang naiwan sa records ng Senate?

SP Kung totoo yun o hindi, kailangan patunayan pa.

Q Is the Senate interested in hearing out Justice Sereno?

SP If she wants to come we will hear her.

Q Pero hindi ninyo sila isu-subpoena?

SP We cannot force her to come.

Q Yung hinihingi po ni Sen. Trillanes para in effect making a request...?

SP Yun ay one of the systems of discoveries authorized by the Rules Of Court. One is deposition, the other one is written in interrogatories. Written questions. Ang problema doon, walang cross-examination.

Q Pero pwede po yun?

SP Titingnan namin. Pag-uusapan namin yun.

Q May iba pa pong paraan kung hindi mag-volunteer si Justice Sereno?

SP Merong paraan pagdating ng defense. Pagdating ng depensa, kung ipiprisinta nila si Chief Justice Corona, di tatanungin nung mga prosecutors through cross-examination.

Q Would that be in the nature of a subpoena?

SP Hindi.

Q Paano po siya (unclear)...

SP May application. They will have to file an application to the impeachment court, then we will authorize the taking of interrogatories.

Q You mentioned na yung hearsay hindi strictly ina-apply pagdating sa impeachment trial?

SP Yun ang rule sa America.

Q Ia-apply din po ito?

SP Yun ang pag-uusapan din namin.

Q Yung interrogatories, hindi po ba yun magka-clash sa guidelines na in-issue ng Supreme Court na bawal?

SP Kaya pag-uusapan namin. Alam mo, yung interrogatories is done only when for instance, you have a pending case, yung magiging testigo mo ay baka mamatay, o maging invalid at hindi na makapunta sa husgado. Sa husgado ay you do perpetuation of testimony through interrogatories.

Q Pwedeng gamitin?

SP Suppletory yung rules of court. Meaning, they supplement the rules of impeachment that are lacking in the rules of impeachment.

Q Pwedeng gamitin?

SP Pwede yun kung papayag yung magtetestigo. Yung mahistrado.

Q So kasama sa caucus sa Monday?

SP Oo.

Q Yung ruling ninyo kanina, hindi inistrike-out sa record?

SP Alam nila na nasa kanila na yun kung paniwalaan nila yung hearsay o hindi.

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