The first successful significant event in the history of the Philippines that chief Justice is impeached.
The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, on Tuesday handed a guilty verdict against Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Voting 20-3 on Article II of the impeachment complaint, senator-judges removed Corona from office.
"The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, having tried Renato C. Corona, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, upon three Articles of Impeachment charged against him by the House of Representatives, by a guilty vote of 20 senators found him guilty of the charge under Article II of the said Articles of Impeachment," said Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate President and impeachment court presiding officer.
The Senate's decision made Corona the first public official in the Philippines to be forced out of office by an impeachment court.
Senators Edgardo Angara, Alan Peter Cayateno, Pia Cayetano, Franklin Drilon, Francis Edcudero , Jinggoy Estrada, Teofisto Guingona III, Gringo Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Sergio Osmeña, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel III, Ralph Recto, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Vicente Sotto III, Antonio Trillanes IV, Manny Villar and Juan Ponce Enrile entered "guilty" votes.
Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. voted to acquit Corona in Article 2.
In his vote, Angara said "a standard far higher is placed on Chief Justice Renato Corona."
Drilon, on the other hand, said Corona "lost his moral fitness, [and] betrayed public trust."
"The Chief Justice is a learned man. Isang opisyal na malalim ang kaalaman tungkol sa batas. I therefore make this painful decision, with a heavy heart, but confident that we have givem justice to our people...In my eyes, he (Corona) is guilty," Estrada said.
Lapid, who rarely speaks in the Senate sessions, said Corona clearly broke the law.
"Hindi po ako magsasalita ng Republic Act dahil hindi maniniwala ang tao sa akin. Ang ginagamit ko lang po ay konsensiya. Noong nagsasalita po si Chief Justice Corona, nagsusumbong sa taong-bayan, awang-awa po ako sa kanya. Ngunit hindi po pala iyon totoo," Lapid said.
For those who voted to acquit Corona, Santiago, Arroyo and Marcos all said they saw insufficient basis to convict the Chief Justice.
"As a former RTC (regional trial court) judge, I find it reprehensible that AMLC (Anti Money-Laundering Council) documents were presented without authentication...Kung malinis tayo, why does Transparency International list us as one of the most corrupt countries in the world? That's why it is difficult to win in any international election campaign because the Philippines is a corrupt country," Santiago said.
Corona faced only three of the eight articles of impeachment filed by the House of Representatives. Article 2 alleged Corona betrayed public trust and/or committed culpable violation of the Constitution for his failure to disclose some of his alleged properties and bank accounts in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) from 2003 to 2010.
Article 3, on the other hand, alleged that Corona's failed to act with competence, integrity and independence in discharging his duties as the country’s top magistrate. Article 7 accused Corona of favoring ex-President Arroyo, who appointed him to the top judicial post.
Corona accepts verdict, but lawyers planning to appeal
In a statement read on television maintained his innocence, but said that he respects the decision of the Senate.
"Wala po akong sala. Wala pong katotohanan ang mga bintang sa akin na nakapaloob sa Articles of Impeachment. Malinis po ang konsensiya ko. Ngunit isang malungkot na katotohanang pulitikal na minsan ang tingin ng nakararami na nangyari, ay hindi naaayon sa tunay na mga naganap," Corona said.
"Kung ito po ang ikabubuti ng ating bayan, tinatanggap ko na po ang kalbaryong aming pinagdaanan. Dahil sa simula't sapul naman, ay handa na akong mag-alay ng sariling buhay para sa bayan. Kung kaya, ipinapaubaya ko na po sa ating Poong Maykapal at sa taong bayan na higit na makapangyarihan sa ating demokrasya ang aking kinabukasan at ang kinabukasan ng ating Hudikatura," Corona added.
Corona, a diabetic and twice a heart bypass survivor, was confined at The Medical City in Pasig City when the senator-judges handed down the verdict.
Corona's lawyers, meanwhile, said they are thinking of taking the option of appealing the Senate's verdict at the Supreme Court (SC).
“It’s not only an option. It is a right of an aggrieved party provided for under the constitution to file a petition for review,” Serafin Cuevas, lead counsel for Corona's defense, said when asked if going to the SC is an option.
“That will depend on our assessment of our evidence because this was a long trial. It does not only end on this decision,” Cuevas added.
“We may not agree but certainly we have to determine what possible legal action can be made."
He also stressed that the guilty verdict of the impeachment court is not yet final and executory.
“If we follow the rules on criminal proceedings it (decision) will be (effective) after 15 days,” he said.
Cuevas said he believes there had been instances when senator-judges committed grave abuse of discretion.
He said Corona was denied due process as there was no determination of a probable cause.
Although he experienced frustrations during the impeachment proceedings, Cuevas said he is “heavily thankful” for being a part of this historical event.
“It was not a fight, it is a human endeavor, an excellent and magnificent one,” he said.
Cuevas said he does not have any ill feelings towards the decision of the 20 senators who voted for the conviction of his client.
The big question in mind now after impeachment of Chief Justice Corona what's the next move of the president?
Removal Corona is a war of the president against Graft and Corruption to our country. So, what's next? or who's next to be impeached?
