First Witness Takes Stand at the Impeachment Trial

SC Clerk of Court Atty. Enriqueta Vidal was the first witness of the prosecution team. She stood at the Corona Impeachment trial on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 2pm. Vidal was presented by the team in relation to the Article 2 which includes the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net-worth of the Supreme court Chief Justice Renato Corona. He was alleged of failure to disclose his SALN.
Atty. Mario Bautista of the prosecution team asked several questions to Vidal to show the process of preparing the SALN. In her statement, she mentioned some names including Clerk of Court Juliet Acia who receives the copies of the magistrates including the Chief Justice. All of the copies were passed to her. There was no log book for the files according to Vidal and the files were kept in the office of the Clerk of Court. Bautista wanted to know the authenticity of the files. Vidal initially refused to submit Corona's SALN despite admitting she brought it to the Senate.
But when asked further why the SALNs were not disclosed when the law states it should be made available to the public, Vidal said: "It is not within my competence, it is within the competence of the court."
In the course of the examination, Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile, acting as impeachment presiding officer, repeatedly told Bautista to rephrase his questions and treat Vidal not as a hostile witness.