Corona to attend trial on Friday - Cuevas

MANILA, Philippines - Chief Justice Renato Corona will attend the impeachment hearing on Friday, his legal counsel announced today.

Lawyer Serafin Cuevas announced that Corona will be returning to the witness stand to comply with the deadline set by the Senate impeachment court.

The Senate impeachment court gave Corona until 2 p.m. Friday to return to the witness stand for the direct and cross examinations by the defense and prosecution panels.

Cuevas said that in his second visit to Corona at the Medical City in Pasig City today, he was able to convince the chief magistrate to attend the proceedings.

"He'll be there (impeachment court). I told him na importante bumalik siya at magsama na lang ng doctor at magpaliwanag doon kung hindi niya kaya. At first, ayaw nila, but I explained and he agreed to be there," Cuevas said.

The veteran lawyer and former Supreme Court associate justice said that Corona is now in a stable condition, but is "still very weak."

Right after his controversial three-hour testimony before the impeachment court on Tuesday afternoon, Corona walked out of the Senate session hall and attempted to leave the legislative building.

In his statement, Corona signed a waiver to allow banks and state agencies to disclose details about his assets including his foreign currency deposits on the condition that the 188 lawmakers from the House of Representatives who signed the impeachment complaint and Senator-judge Franklin Drilon to also execute a similar waiver.

He later surfaced on a wheelchair with his lawyers and family claiming that he had to abruptly leave the session hall to avoid throwing up and collapsing on the Senate floor.

His lawyers said Corona suffered from hypoglycemia. He was later rushed to Medical City and confined at the intensive care unit as his doctors suspect that he suffered from a heart attack.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Wednesday set the oral arguments on Monday next week.

Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said that the impeachment court's verdict on the impeachment case of the chief justice may already be carried out right after the oral arguments or the next day, Tuesday. with reports from Dennis Carcamo, Edu Punay and Cheryl M. Arcibal

No heart attack

Meanwhile, doctors at the Medical City on Thursday announced that Corona did not suffer from a heart attack on Tuesday.

“An acute myocardial infarction has been ruled out. His blood sugar and kidney function are stable,” Dr. Eugenio Jose Ramos, senior vice president for Medical Services Group of The Medical City, said in a press conference.

Ramos, however, said that Corona should not be subjected to stress because the chief justice suffering from a heart attack is highly likely.

Corona has been bypassed twice and is a diabetic for 20 years.

Ramos announced during the press conference that they are against Corona's plan to return to the witness stand at the Senate on Friday.

“It is the consensus of the medical team that attending the Senate hearing tomorrow still poses a risk to the CJ’s cardiac status. Purely on the basis of his medical condition. Therefore, the team has reservations about exposing him to the risk of an acute coronary event tomorrow,” he said.