Angara rejects motion to inhibit

Senator Edgardo Angara during a speech assailing his detractors before the start of Day 36. (Bernard Testa/Interaksyon.com)

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines -- Senator Edgardo Angara formally denied the motion filed by Chief Justice Renato Corona’s lawyer asking that he inhibit himself from the impeachment trial due to conflict of interest.

“I reject the call because that is completely irrelevant and immaterial. The judicial code of conduct cannot be used in Congress because we have a different set of rules to follow,” he said.

Angara believed that the motion for his inhibition is only a dilatory tactic of Corona’s defense and a tool to destroy the credibility of the impeachment court.

He said the motion was written with malice since he was asked by the defense panel to redeem himself from the accusation of conflict of interest by voting in favor of the chief justice.

“I have been the president of University of the Philippines and Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and I never seen a legal logic like this. This is a malicious paper,” he said.

At this juncture, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile asked the members of the Senate including both panels to “go back to work” and forget the sad chapter of the impeachment trial.

“We respect all the opinion of others regarding our performance…But i assure you that no one will sway us in our decision in this impeachment trial,” Enrile said.

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