The defense panel filed a motion at the Senate on Monday morning to defer the examination of Chief Justice Renato Corona's dollar accounts to honor the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court.

The defense also filed a manifestation to withdraw a statement by Justice Serafin Cuevas during the February 9 hearing, where he announced that he was willing to go to the Ayala branch of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) to review the monthly statements of an account that allegedly belongs to Corona.

Cuevas issued the pronouncement during the course of his preparation to cross examine witness BPI Ayala branch manager Leonora Dizon, which prompted a suggestion by Senate President and Impeachment Presiding Judge Juan Ponce Enrile for the Defense and Prosecution to come to an agreement on a mutually convenient time to conduct a joint visit to the bank.

However, just before the hearing concluded, Cuevas withdrew his manifestation after ascertaining that he had obtained a copy of the Chief Justice's bank statements so there was no longer a need to go to BPI.

The defense panel explained that Chief Justice Corona has since obtained possession of the relevant monthly statements and so they could then proceed with the cross examination of witness, Leonore De Vera-Dizon, the BPI branch manager.

In a related development, defense lawyer Judd Roy confirmed that his team members are planning to file a supplemental petition for certiorari at the Supreme Court to highlight some of their arguments pertaining to the matter of alleged partiality being manifested by some Senator-Judges in the impeachment trial.

ACL/Reportage by Carol Ramoran and Patricia Ongsiako