Rico Paolo Quicho, a member of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s defense team in the impeachment trial, said Wednesday that the defense panel has finished an initial draft of their explanation as to why they should not be cited for contempt.

On Sunday, Corona’s defense team held a press conference at Club Filipino where they accused Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr of contacting senator-judges and offering them a P100-million bribe for defying a Supreme Court temporary restraining order on the matter of disclosing Corona's bank deposits and ultimately rendering the accused a conviction.

The next day, the senator-judges reprimanded the defense panel lawyers.

"You made us (appear to be) susceptible to bribery," Senator Alan Peter Cayetano told Lawyer Jose Roy. For his part, Sen. Jose Ejercito "Jinggoy" Estrada demanded Roy to name their source.

Roy apologized but stood his ground and declined to reveal his source.

This prompted the senators demand a written explanation as to why the defense panel should not be cited for contempt.

Quicho disclosed that the defense will be ready to submit the response, possibly by Friday or earlier, this week.

He said the explanation will highlight the apology of Roy and articulate that their intention in last Sunday’s press briefing was to inform the public about Malacañang’s attempt to shortcut the impeachment and not to accuse the senator-judges of possibly taking bribes.

"We are thankful that we are given a chance to explain in writing. We will be able to redeem ourselves in the coming days," Roy added. ACL / Reportage from Carol Ramoran