MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago made her presence felt during the resumption of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona Tuesday, scolding a House prosecutor for not being prepared while urging the court to allow Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares to testify in the trial. 

At the start of the trial, Santiago reminded all present to fast-track the proceedings.

"It behooves us to start with this principle. Justice delayed is justice denied. Wag na tayo magpa-epal dito. Nawawalan ng gana yung nanonood. Dumaan na tayo dun," she said.

She chastised House lead prosecutor Niel Tupas Jr. for failing to say how many prosecution witnesses will be presented in the trial.

"You should have known. Don't shake your head at me. You come to court prepared. You do not waste the time of this court," she said.

On the other hand, she said Henares should be allowed to testify in the trial to show the public that they are not hiding anything from the impeachment proceedings. She proposed that the defense team be given 3 days to prepare before the prosecution presents the BIR chief.

"By all means, let us call [Henares]. Let's see what she has. I respectfully propose there is sufficient notice to the defendant. It is not spat at him overnight. Let us give defendant time, maybe 3 days..." she said.

Santiago missed the first week of the trial due to hypertension but admitted that she watched the hearings.

She told reporters before the start of Tuesday's proceedings that she found the trial "unstructured" to the point of "terminal boredom."

Ill-gotten wealth

Santiago, a former trial judge, said the impeachment court should be allowed to apply the rules of court liberally since it is a quasi-judicial and quasi-political proceeding. "If there is a doubt, admit the evidence," she said.

Defense lawyer Serafin Cuevas, meanwhile, raised his continuing objection to the inclusion of evidence on Corona's alleged ill-gotten wealth since it is not included in the Articles of Impeachment.

He said Article 2 of the Impeachment Complaint does not outright accuse Corona of acquiring ill-gotten wealth since the allegations are based on reports and not statements of fact.

"No accusation there - the allegations are conjectural and speculative. They do not amount to a concrete statement of fact that may require a denial," he said.

Tupas, however, said the Senate impeachment court is not an ordinary court "because it is the repository of the people's trust."

He added that the test of the sufficiency of the complaint is whether it explains the allegations against the respondent and he understands.