MANILA, Philippines - Retired Supreme Court associate justice Serafin Cuevas has denied receiving pressure from Malacañang to withdraw as lead defense counsel of Chief Justice Renato Corona in his impeachment trial.
Speaking over radio dzBB, the 83-year-old Cuevas said he was not a major player that would deserve such pressure.
“I’m not that important, that is not true,” he said.
“There is no pressure from Malacañang, they did not send an emissary, that is not true.”
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Cuevas’ claims as carried in the media and his subsequent denial are classic attempts to distract from the substance of the issues: how Corona acquired his assets, and what he has reported on his income.
“After all, BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) Commissioner Kim Henares’ testimony last week has not, to date, been rebutted by the defense,” he said.
“We hope Justice Cuevas will give as much emphasis to his retraction as he did to his initial claim. The country cannot afford distractions of this sort from the impeachment trial proceedings.”
Deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said she heard Cuevas being interviewed and two things stood out.
“He denied saying that Malacañang was putting pressure on him to quit and second, he denied that someone from Malacañang is talking to him.”
“He did say it specifically that he denied saying first, that someone had approached him and second, he denied saying that Malacañang was pressuring him to quit.”
Valte said the statements of Cuevas were very clear.
Valte said she was not aware of stories being peddled in the media from the defense and the prosecution.
“I have no basis to say what the inclination was when that story, when that interview was given,” she said. “Whether there was motive on the part of the interviewee or whether there was motive on the part of the interviewer, I really cannot say.
“Again, it is a matter between Justice Cuevas and the report that was printed. But we remain in our position that these issues are peripheral, are collateral. We should focus really on what the substance of the impeachment is.”
Valte said Malacañang was not into black propaganda against Corona and that they were not aware of Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas’ statement that they would go after the other SC justices.
A newspaper reported on Monday that Cuevas was being asked to leave the defense panel in exchange for the withdrawal of the criminal case against former National Bureau of Investigation director Magtanggol Gatdula, who has been implicated in the alleged kidnapping of an undocumented Japanese woman.
Cuevas and Gatdula are both members of the Iglesia ni Cristo.