SC bars 2 staff in Corona trial
MANILA — The Supreme Court ( SC) has barred its two process servers from appearing before the Senate impeachment trial.
SC spokesman Midas Marquez said that the high court will issue a resolution that it is not waiving its judicial privilege on pending cases.
“The two court employees have been advised not to appear in the impeachment court,” Marquez announced.
The Senate summoned Christopher Dollente and Eric Borlongan, SC process servers who served a temporary restraining order ( TRO) against the Department of Justice’s watchlist order on former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and husband, Mike Arroyo.
The two SC process servers were summoned by the impeachment court upon the request of the House of Representatives’ prosecution panel, which is already presenting the Article 7 of the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona.
The prosecution accuses Corona of partiality in handling the TRO petition of Mrs. Arroyo.
During the 25th day of the impeachment trial, the impeachment court heard testimonies from two employees of ABS- CBN News regarding its footage of Arroyo when she tried to leave the country hours after the high court issued the TRO.
Despite the TRO, Arroyo was still barred by airport authorities from leaving the country upon orders of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. (Philippine STAR News Service)