MANILA, Philippines — The bank accounts of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona are seen as ticking bomb for both the defense and the prosecution panels in the impeachment trial.

“If there is no money, that means the prosecution has been had. If there is money, we would not know how much. We are playing a guessing game here,” former Sen. Freddie Webb told Manila Bulletin when interviewed at the  Senate premises.

“Remember, the Senate has made a decision. I don’t think they will change their minds…not even the appeal for reconsideration by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago and to stop the banks from opening (the records of bank accounts),’’ he said.

‘’From what I heard they do not have a problem with the peso account but with the dollar (account) there is a law (Bank Secrecy Law). But an impeachment court …they can almost do anything and everything under the sun right now,’’ he added.

He cited the impeachment case of former President Joseph Estrada whose lawyers objected to the opening of an envelope supposedly containing bank accounts that the former Chief Executive allegedly hid under the alias “Jose Velarde.’’

The envelope was later opened by then-Senate President Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. after Estrada hurriedly vacated Malacañang. It did not contain the supposed bank documents.

Webb gave this view as the Senate, as an impeachment court, appears to be on head on collision with the Supreme Court after Corona filed Wednesday motions with the High Tribunal seeking to stop the impeachment court from hearing the testimony of officials of two banks and to bar the submission of bank documents relating to the Coronas’ bank accounts.

Senator-judges maintained that their decision directing the officers of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and Philippine Savings Bank (PSB) to reveal the bank accounts of the Coronas relate only to the current impeachment trial and does not affect private depositors.

These bank officers were subpoenaed to appear Wednesday afternoon.

The prosecution wanted the PSB to submit documents relating to the Coronas’ alleged $700,000 bank deposits while it also demanded that BPI testify on the Chief Justice to testify on several bank withdrawals of some P20 million that Corona used in buying high-priced real estate properties.

‘’This is a numbers game. Both the defense and the prosecution are after their targets,’’ he said.

Webb stressed that he has a gut feeling that the Corona case would see its logical conclusion compared to the case of Estrada whose trial was abbreviated by a walk-out of private prosecutors of the House of Representatives.

Webb said he expressed the opinion as majority of the senator-judges have made up their minds ‘’based on the questions they have asked and on their political affiliations.’’