MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court can exercise its judicial privilege much the same way the President and members of Congress exercise their right to executive and legislative privileges to protect the integrity of the High Court, lawyers of Chief Justice Renato Corona Friday said.
 
Defense lawyers maintained that the SC, as a co-equal branch of government, is also entitled to invoke its judicial privilege to ensure the stability of the judiciary.
 
Corona’s lawyers issued the statement a day after senator-judge Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV asked the Senate impeachment court to send “written interrogatories” to Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno to clarify the testimony of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.