Ex-interpreter refused to come to CJ trial

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  – The dismissed court interpreter who was repeatedly cited in the conviction of former chief justice Renato Corona in the Senate impeachment court had earlier turned down a request from Malacañang for her to come out at the height of the impeachment trial.

The President reportedly ordered Presidential Communications Operations Office chief Secretary Herminio Coloma to find Delsa Flores, 66, a court interpreter who was dismissed from the service in 1997 for betrayal of public trust.

Flores was reportedly just reprimanded for failing to declare in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) a market stall she owned, but the Supreme Court affirmed a lower court’s ruling to dismiss her from government service for betrayal of public trust for allegedly receiving double compensation after she received salaries as municipal government employee and as interpreter.

Flores was said to be first an employee of the local government before she was hired as court interpreter.

Her son, Ritchie, 33, told The STAR that the Philippine Information Agency in Region XI in Southern Mindanao tried to get in touch with his mother.

Ritchie said he did not know if any other group also tried to get in touch with his mother for the same purpose.

“A man came to the house and he said he was with the Philippine Information Agency,” Ritchie said when asked if there was anyone who approached them regarding the impeachment, either from the prosecution or defense panel.

PIA XI regional director Efren Elbanbuena admitted he found Flores at the family’s residence, which also served as their laundry shop at the old public market in Panabo City.

Elbanbuena, incidentally, also happens to be a resident of Panabo City, about 45 minutes from Davao City, where the Flores family resides.

Elbanbuena said he went to the Flores residence three times before the former court interpreter agreed to talk to him.

“But she was very clear about not wanting to come out in the open. She refused to be interviewed. So, we left her to her wishes since she did not want to go public,” Elbanbuena explained.

Coloma reportedly even also asked Elbanbuena to again urge Flores to come out when the Senate decided last Tuesday.

“But the private media beat us to it. The television networks already tracked her down immediately after the verdict was handed down by the Senate,” Elbanbuena said.

Meanwhile, Ritchie said the family does not have any plans of filing any motion for reconsideration regarding his mother’s case.

“We already filed a motion for reconsideration in 1997 and I even accompanied my mother in Manila but still it was already the Supreme Court that had spoken so we could not do anything about it,” Ritchie added.

Ritchie said the case against his mother was actually filed by Narita Rabe, who happened to be the tenant of the family’s stall at the old public market of Panabo City.

He said the case was actually triggered by Rabe’s plan to rent the public market stall.

“Yes, there was some kind of quarrel between my mother and Rabe, that was why she filed the case against my mother sometime in 1995 or 1996,” Ritchie said.