Jesus Crispin Remulla Refuses to voluntarily testify on Renato Corona impeachment trial

According to philstar.com, Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said unless there's a subpoena, he would refuse to testify at the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona Jr.

"The due process [question] has been settled. I do not want to add anything to it anymore, there's no point. And secondly, as an officer of the House of Representatives, it is not proper for me to testify against the impeachment complaint, Remulla told ANC in an interview. Remulla is a Deputy Speaker at the House of Representatives. Corona's lawyers identified Remulla as one of their witnesses.

On Monday, Remulla's colleague, Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco told the impeachment court that he felt that the impeachment of Corona was intended to intimidate the Supreme court.

Remulla, however, confirmed the statement of Tiangco that there was delay in the release of his "pork barrel" or the Priority Development Assistance Fund, when he refused to sign the impeachment of then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, who , like Corona, is also an appointee of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"Mine (PDAF) was released after August, while theirs (those who signed the complaint), were released in May. That's the way it is. That has been the way even during the Arroyo administration. If you oppose the administration's decisions, you get zero [allocations]," Remulla said.

He denied, however, that he was pressured to sign any impeachment complaint.

Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II, House Majority Leader, said Tiangco should prepare for possible expulsion proceedings against him following his testimony in the impeachment court.

Meanwhile, Remulla said the House leadership has yet to ask his resignation as a Deputy Speaker.

"They still have yet to ask me to resign.We're still part of the coalition and besides the impeachment is only one issue. It's not everything. It's just one aspect of our duty," Remulla said.

Besides Remulla, Tiangco has also named Batangas Rep. Hermilando Mandanas as another legislator who declined to support the impeachment complaint.

Mandanas was reportedly removed by the House leadership as chairman of the ways and means committee for refusing to sign the complaint.