Corona won't appeal verdict - lawyer

MANILA, Philippines -- Deposed Chief Justice Renato Corona will not appeal the verdict of the Senate before the Supreme Court, one of his lawyers said Thursday.

"It's already a closed chapter. No more filing of appeal," Rico Quicho, a spokesman for Corona’s defense team, told Interaksyon.

On Tuesday, the Senate convicted Corona of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution for failing to disclose his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

The decision stripped Corona of his post and perpetually disqualified him from holding public office.

Before Corona’s conviction, his lead counsel, retired Justice Serafin Cuevas had hinted they might appeal a guilty verdict.

article source: interaksyon.com

Corona found guilty

MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) - With 19 votes already in, the Senate has found Chief Justice Renato Corona guilty of betrayal of public trust for failing to disclose his true wealth in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) as required under the Constitution.

As of posting, only 3 had voted to acquit, and the decision of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile will no longer affect the outcome.

Those who found the chief justice guilty were:

1) Edgardo Angara
2) Alan Peter Cayetano
3) Pia Cayetano
4) Franklin Drilon
5) Francis Escudero

6) Jinggoy Estrada
7) Teofisto Guingona III
8) Gregorio Honasan
9) Panfilo Lacson
10) Lito Lapid

11) Loren Legarda
12) Sergio Osmeña III
13) Francis Pangilinan
14) Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III
15) Ralph Recto

16) Ramon Revilla Jr.
17) Vicente Sotto III
18) Antonio Trillanes IV
19) Manuel villar

Those who have so far found Corona innocent are:

1) Joker Arroyo
2) Miriam Defensor-Santiago
3) Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Corona thus becomes the first high-ranking official in Philippine history to be removed from office via the method prescribed by the Constitution.

Then-President Joseph Estrada's impeachment trial in 2001 was cut short by a military-backed civilian uprising which ousted him from office, instead of via the impeachment process.

Stronger democracy or dictatorship?

The 5-month long impeachment process is seen by analysts as an exercise that will strengthen the country's democratic institutions.

Various surveys have shown that the Filipino public will accept the verdict of the Senate, regardless of whether Corona is found guilty or not.

The historic vote on Tuesday was also expected to strengthen the Aquino presidency, as well as its campaign against corruption and efforts to promote transparency and accountability.

Corona, however, has said that President Aquino's bid to remove him from office is an attack on an independent branch of government, and that if he is removed from office, it would lead to a dictatorship.

98% of cash assets undeclared

In its closing arguments Monday, House prosecutors said Corona failed to disclose 98% of his cash assets in his SALNs. Corona's defense lawyers argued that the law on foreign currency deposits provides for absolute confidentiality, and that failure to disclose is not one of the impeachable offenses provided under the Constitution.

The vote focused on Article 2 of the impeachment complaint filed by 188 congressmen last December 12, which alleges that Corona failed to disclose his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth as required under Sec. 17, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution.

The senator-judges no longer voted on the 2 other articles of impeachment (Articles 3 and 7), which accuse Corona of failing to meet the competence, integrity, probity and independence of a government official, and favoring former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in one of his decisions.

During the 44 trial days spread out in 5 months, the chief justice's real property acquisitions and dollar deposits became the subject of heated debate and discussions.

Family feud

The family feud between the Coronas and the Basas over Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. (BGEI) also hurt his stature during the trial, although the two families began to reconcile last Friday by hugging and kissing at the Senate session hall during a caucus break.

In the beginning, many thought the prosecution would likely lose, with many senator-judges criticizing them for their unpreparedness and poor presentation of evidence.

They were assailed for presenting a bloated list of Corona’s real properties, and for wrongly fishing for evidence during the trial.

The defense, on the other hand, earned the ire of many senators when they claimed that Malacañang tried to bribe a couple of them in order to vote for the opening of Corona’s dollar accounts. The Senate voted 13-10 to respect a Supreme Court TRO on Corona's dollar accounts.

Corona's dollar accounts

In the last days of the trial, the focus was on the dollar accounts of Corona. The defense presented a hostile witness, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who presented an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report which purportedly shows Corona had at least $10 million-$12 million in transactional balances in 82 foreign-denominated accounts.

The allegation prompted Corona to agree to take the witness stand, a move which many thought was a big mistake.

Corona debunked Carpio-Morales’ accusations, saying he has only $2.4 million, including interest earnings since the early 1970s, plus P80 million in commingled funds.

He said there was no need to declare his dollar deposits in his SALNs because of the absolute confidentiality provided by the Foreign Currency Deposit Act.

He then signed a waiver authorizing banks to disclose his financial assets, but the Senate merely took note of it since it was not a producer of evidence for either party.

Corona's move last May 22 to leave the witness stand without being excused and attempt to leave the Senate also proved costly since many senators saw it as an attempted walkout and disrespect of the impeachment court.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Villar votes to convict Corona

MANILA, Philippines -- Senator-judge Manny Villar on Tuesday voted to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona for violating Article 2 of the Articles of Impeachment.

Villar said he based his decision on Corona's admission that he owns the peso and dollar accounts that were not included in the magistrate's statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth.

He also recalled how he himself was subject of a black propaganda campaign when he ran against President Benigno Aquino III in the 2010 elections.

"Mabuting tao si CJ Corona pero sa kasong ito, sya ay guilty (Corona is a good man, but in this case, he is guilty)," Villar said in conclusion of his explanation of his vote.

source: interaksyon.com

Estrada votes to convict Corona

MANILA, Philippines - Senator-judge Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada voted to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona on Article II as the impeachment court rendered a verdict on Day 44 of the historic trial.

Estrada, eighth in the line of senators called upon to declare and announce their vote, said he could not accept the defense explanation of "good faith" in Corona's exclusion of huge chunks of his assets from his SALN, because "the chief justice is a learned man."

He described the impeachment of Corona as a "redemption" for the country and the democratic process, because it had once, 11 years ago, failed in the case of his father, then-President Joseph Estrada. His trial was aborted by the walkout of prosecutors, and because it is clear now, said the senator, that the issues were meant "to be resolved in the streets" right from the start. "In my eyes, he is guilty," Estrada concluded.

source: interaksyon.com

Guingona finds Corona guilty of Article 2

Senator Teofisto Guingona III finds Corona guilty of Article of Impeachment No. 2 for failing to disclose his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

"Ginoong Pangulo, batay sa ebisensiya, sa mga mismong sinabi at pag-amin ng nasasakdal at bilang pagkilala sa kasagraduhan ng Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas, ito ang hatol ko: Ang nasasakdal na punong mahistrado ng Korte Supreme ay hindi na, hindi na po karapat-dapat sa pagtitiwala ng sambayanang Pilipino (Mr. President, based on the evidence, on the very words and admission of the accused and in recognition of the sacredness of the Constitution of the Philippines, this is my verdict: The accused Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is no longer, no longer worthy of the trust of the Filipino people)," Guingona said.

"I vote to convict the accused Chief Justice of the Supreme Court," he added.

Following is the full text of Guingona's explanation of his vote:

Ginoong Pangulo, sa paglilitis na ito, ang aking boto ay para sa kasagraduhan at kapangyarihan ng Saligang Batas ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Mr. President, if there is one thing that our nation would have learned in this impeachment process, it is this: that we must renew our respect for and protect the sanctity of our Constitution of our republic.

Ang ating Saligang Batas ay sagrado at walang sinumang kapangyarihan sa ating bansa ang mas mataas pa dito. Ito ay sagrado, lahat dito dapat sumunod. Ipatupad ito at igalang ito. Ito ay sagrado kaya lahat ng lingkod-bayan, ibinoto o inappoint man sa tungkulin, ay pinasusumpa na ito ay itataguyod at ipagtatanggol.

Ang hindi pagsunod, ang hindi pagtupad, ang hindi pagtatanggol sa ating Saligang Batas ay isang malinaw na paglapastangan sa pinamakataas na batas n gating republika. At sa kaso pong ating nilitis Ginoong Pangulo, pinagaralan ko ang mga sumusunod: nagkaruon ba ng paglabag at paglapastangan sa sagradong Saligang Batas ng Pilpinas? At kung nagkaruon nga ng paglapastangan ay dapat bang hindi na payagang manatili sa kanyang pwesto at tungkulin. Inihayag ba ng nasasakdal ang lahat ng assets, liabilities at net worth niya, bilang pagsunod sa Saligang Batas: ang sagot ko po hindi po ginawa.

Nagkaruon ba ng bahid ang kanyang integrity at probity sa panahon ng kanyang panunungkulan sa pinakamataas na korte ng ating bansa? Ang sagot ko po, opo, nagkaruon ng malaking bahid.

Nilabag ba niya ang utos ng Saligang Batas na siya ay dapat maging accountable to the people sa lahat ng pagkakataon at maglingkod ng may utmost responsibility, integrity and loyalty: Ang sagot ko po, opo nilabag po.

One of the actions of the accused stands out, Mr President.

Mula mismo sa mga labi ng nasasakdal, inamin niya na nakadeposito sa iba’t ibang mga bangko ang mga salapi niya na nagkakahalagang P80M at $2.4M. Pero nasaan ito, nasaan ito, sa kanyang sinumpaang SALN?

Idedeklara lamang ba ito kung kelan gugustuhin ng isang mataas na opisyal? Pwede ba siyang magtago sa likod ng FCDA?

Mr. President, ito ay isang pabaluktot ng provision ng Constitution. How can one man use the very same Constitution which mandates full public disclosure to justify concealment of millions of dollars in his personal bank account? This is constitutional perversion in its ultimate form.

G. Pangulo, sino ba ang inaasahan ng taumbayan para maging pangunahing tagapagtanggol ng Saligang Batas? Hindi ba’t ang Korte Supreme. Ano ang aaasahan natin pagtatanggol kung ang mismong pangulo nito ang unang humahanap ng butas para baluktutin an gating Saligang Batas. Ang Saligang Batas ay sagrado. Anumang paglusot dito, anomang pagbaluktot ditto ay paglabag at papabastos sa pinakamataas na bansa. The Constitution above all.

Ginoong Pangulo, batay sa ebisensiya, sa mga mismong sinabi at pag-amin ng nasasakdal at bilang pagkilala sa kasagraduhan ng Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas, ito ang hatol ko: Ang nasasakdal na punong mahistrado ng Korte Supreme ay hindi na, hindi na po karapat-dapat sa pagtitiwala ng sambayanang Pilipino.

I vote to convict the accused Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Maraming salamat po.

source: interaksyon.com

Escudero finds Corona guilty on Article 2

MANILA, Philippines -- Senator-judge Francis Escudero on Tuesday voted to find Chief Justice Renato Corona guilty of violating Article 2 of the Articles of Impeachment, even as he praised the chief justice for issuing a confidentiality waiver to disclose all his bank accounts.

source: interaksyon.com

Drilon votes Corona guilty on Article 2

The Senate, convened as an impeachment court over the past four months, adjourned on Monday having heard the final arguments of lawyers prosecuting and defending Chief Justice Renato Corona, and now placing the fate of the chief magistrate solely in the hands of senator-judges.

The senators are expected to vote on Tuesday either to convict and immediately remove Corona from his post as Chief Justice, or to acquit and send the Philippines into uncharted political waters.

It will ultimately be a political vote, and while there will be time on Tuesday for each senator-judge to explain his or her vote, the impeachment trial had in fact progressed, and will conclude, with no formal guideline or consensus on the criteria for voting to either convict or acquit. The senators early on in the trial had raised questions as to the "quantum of evidence" or the level of proof that they should seek – whether at par with standards for criminal, civil, or administrative cases – but there was never any resolution on the matter.

That will leave Corona's fate to be determined by a mixed group of lawyers and non-lawyers distributed over a number of political parties and affiliations, and each with different political considerations and interests heading into a crucial election season.

Congressmen composing a panel of prosecutors on Monday accused Corona of "deception of the highest order" and called for his sacking, as the historic four-month trial reached a climax. The final plea to oust the Chief Justice came from no less than the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Feliciano Belmonte.

The first Supreme Court justice to stand trial, Renato Corona is accused of hiding millions of dollars' worth of assets and other graft, claims he says were cooked up by President Benigno Aquino to have him removed.

"Palusot." Excuses, excuses. This was how Ilocos Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas - as member of the House panel prosecuting Chief Justice Renato Corona - characterized the defense of the chief magistrate in the concluding impeachment trial against him.

Fariñas said Corona and his lawyers' explanations for peso and dollar properties undeclared in the Chief Justice's statements of assets and net worth (SALN) all amounted to "one flimsy excuse after another" ("puro palusot") - all coming too weakly and too late supposedly after Corona had been caught in what lead prosecutor Niel Tupas recapped as "lies".

Fariñas said Corona's accounting for $2.4 million and P80 million that went undeclared in his SALNs were hard to swallow.

The Chief Justice on Friday tried to counter suggestions that the moneys were ill-gotten, saying the dollar amounts could be easily explained by his and his wife's discipline and foresight in saving dollars starting from the 1960's. Corona had even noted that he started investing in dollars in the late 1960s when the peso traded at "2-to-1" with the US dollar.

As for not declaring the savings in his SALN, Corona and his lawyers have insisted that the Chief Justice had no obligation to declare his dollar "savings" given laws guaranteeing secrecy and privacy in foreign currency deposits. The peso accounts, they add, were not actually entirely Corona's, and were supposedly aggregated and co-mingled savings of Corona, his wife, children, and even relatives tied to a family company.

Fariñas, however, mocked the very notion of Corona hoarding dollars starting from the 1960s. By the prosecution's accounting, for the Chief Justice's story to hold true, Corona started buying dollars "when he was in Grade 4." Meanwhile, he said Corona's story about co-mingled funds contradicted what the prosecution tried to portray as an increasingly convoluted story that at turns made clear delienations between his properties and assets and those of his children and relatives, and at turns suggested they were one and the same.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, 63, is accused of protecting graft-tainted former president Gloria Arroyo from prosecution, as well as lacking integrity and amassing a personal fortune above the limits of his salary - which he failed to declare as required by the constitution.

The maximum penalty for a guilty verdict on any of the three charges is his removal, but the Senate, sitting as a court, said it also has the option of imposing the lesser penalties of censure, reprimand, fine, or suspension.

In his closing argument Monday, chief prosecutor Niel Tupas said the senator-judges must convict and impose the severest penalty for Corona's failure to declare bank deposits including $2.4 million in US dollar accounts. He said the campaign to oust Corona was not one waged against one man, but rather one to rid the Philippine justice system of "evils".

"His lies in the SALN (his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth) run into the hundreds of millions and cannot be ignored," Tupas said.

"It is lying, it is dishonesty, it is deception of the highest order."

Tupas said these assets were significantly higher than the P22.9 million (about $533,000) net worth declared by Corona in his 2010 declaration, an annual constitutional requirement for all public officials.

Corona's removal was sought by Aquino, who was elected to the presidency in 2010 on a platform to end corruption which he claimed reached pervasive levels during Arroyo's term.

Aquino has accused Arroyo of illegally appointing Corona as chief justice just before she stepped down, allegedly to protect her from prosecution. Arroyo is now in detention while separately being tried for vote rigging.

Corona was impeached by Aquino's allies in the House of Representatives in December, which then sent the complaint to the Senate for trial.

Millions of Filipinos have closely followed the trial, which began in January, and various opinion surveys have indicated that Aquino enjoyed widespread public support for pursuing a judge perceived to be corrupt.

Corona however was backed by his peers in the judiciary amid warnings the president may have violated constitutional provisions in his zeal to remove the chief justice.

Sixteen votes, about two-thirds of the chamber, are required to unseat Corona. The senators, who include only four members of Aquino's party, have been tight-lipped about how they intended to vote.

The senator-judges were expected to announce their vote in individual speeches later Monday or Tuesday.

Corona's lawyer Eduardo de los Angeles stressed that Corona did not commit any "high crime" cited by the constitution, such as treason, bribery, or corruption, that would be cause for his removal.

Corona's failure to declare his dollar savings was covered under the country's strict bank confidentiality laws, his lawyer said.

At most, Corona's failure to declare the dollar deposits was a minor breach of another law requiring public officials to declare all their assets, and this can be remedied by filing an amended statement of assets, de los Angeles added.

"Certainly a high government official should not be impeached nor removed from office for any minor breach of the law."

Last week, Corona appeared as the final witness in his defence and delivered a three-hour testimony accusing Aquino of a conspiracy to oust him.

He claimed his impeachment was the result of a personal vendetta by Aquino following a landmark Supreme Court ruling to break up Hacienda Luisita, a giant sugar estate owned by the president's clan.

That court decision came shortly before Aquino's allies voted to impeach Corona. With reports from Joseph Hollandes Ubalde, InterAksyon.com, and from Agence France-Presse

source: interaksyon.com

Corona acquittal would be 'catastrophic' - Aquino

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III has likened an acquittal of Chief Justice Renato Corona to a "delubyo," which means disaster or catastrophe.

At the annual summit of the Kristyanong Kabataan Para sa Bayan (KKB) movement - which the President attended for the first time since 2004, Aquino said while he would like to spend the whole day with the youth participants, he would have to return to Malacañang to monitor the last day of the impeachment trial.

"We need to watch something this afternoon. If we are absent, a miracle might happen," Aquino said on Tuesday.

"But with the help of your prayers, that will not happen," Aquino added.

But the President corrected himself, saying it would not be a miracle but a disaster or a catastrophe if the chief magistrate is acquitted.

Aquino also rallied the 15,000 youth members of KKB not to stray from the straight path.

The KKB movement is the youth arm of the Jesus Is Lord Movement, an independent born-again evangelical church in the country.

In his speech, Joel Villanueva, KKB chairman and director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, rallied the youth to vie for seats in the 2013 polls.

"Every election is important just like this 2013 polls where we hope to see more KKB members participating in the noble task of nation-building by seeking public office," Villanueva said.

"If we say dirty politics must change, then we ask, who is going to change that? We just can't pray and ask God to please clean this up. It is not just realistic. Young people should get involved and address this themselves," Villanueva added.

source: interaksyon.com

Palace prepared to accept Corona trial verdict

MANILA, Philippines -- Malacanang is “ready” to accept whatever verdict is handed out by the Senate on the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“We are as ready as we will ever be for whatever verdict that is coming out... we respect the Senate impeachment court. So whatever their verdict is, we will defer to the senator-judges,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Monday.

“Depending on where you’re sitting, it will be an upset either way. If the defense wins, then it will be an upset for the prosecution; if the prosecution wins, it will be an upset for the defense. So let us wait for the verdict either today or tomorrow,” Valte said.

Asked if the Palace is entertaining the possibility of an acquittal for the chief magistrate, Valte said “not if you look at the evidence that has been presented.”

“Based on the evidence and the admissions that have been given, it is a strong case,” she added.

President Benigno Aquino III has pursued the impeachment case against Corona, a known supporter of former President and current Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as part of his agenda to reform government against corruption. Arroyo is being detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center over charges of corruption.

source: interaksyon.com

Corona says dollar accounts total $2.4M

MANILA, Philippines - Chief Justice Renato Corona told the impeachment court on Friday his dollar deposits total $2.4 million, but stressed these were not deposited in one fell swoop, but were the result of savings that yielded interest for over 30 years.

source: interaksyon.com

Corona says sorry to Senate, denies 'walkout'

Chief Justice Renato Corona apologized to the Senate impeachment court on Friday for his abrupt departure from the session hall on Tuesday, but denied that he had walked out on the chamber.

Corona said sorry to the court, the public, the prosecution and his own defense team.

"Ako po’y nagpapakumbaba at humihingi ng inyong paumanhin sa nangyari nung Martes. Hindi ko po inaasahan na ganun ang mangyayari, kaya lang po alam ninyo ang pinagdaanan namin, particularly pinagdaanan ko nung nakaraang halos anim na buwan (I am humbling myself and asking your pardon for what happened on Tuesday. I did not expect that would happen, but you know what we have been through, particularly what we have gone through in the past almost six months)," Corona said.

The 'other Rene' unconvinced

Former senator Rene Saguisag, reacting to Corona's apology to the Senate, said the chief justice "could have told JPE [Enrile] what he is saying now, instead of imperiously excusing himself last Tuesday." He described it as "a sheer glaring afterthought, reached after three days."

Saguisag, in a message sent to media, said, "He could have told the Sgt.-at-Arms that he felt unwell, instead of asking if he was being arrested, or Mrs. Corona could have said that he needed medical attention, instead of asking about martial law. The engines of their three vehicles were running.

"He could have gone to Makati Med but chose Medical City where a son-in-law is associated."

Saguisag concluded by asking, "How long will the Coronas abuse our patience? Quo usque tandem abutere patientia nostra? We can tell when Rene lies, his lips move."

source: interaksyon.com

Defense waives direct exam at Corona trial, prosecution scuttles cross

The defense dispensed with the direct examination of Chief Justice Renato Corona on the 42nd day of his impeachment trial, and the prosecution served notice it would not cross examine him.

This leaves only the senator-judges to throw clarificatory questions at him.

Earlier, defense lawyers of the Chief Justice said they might waive the direct examination of the magistrate given his physical condition.

Lawyer Ramon Esguerra said they want to spare Corona a "stressful situation."

"I don’t think so. I don’t want him to go through another stressful situation so we try to avoid as much as possible situation like that," Esguerra told reporters.

source: interaksyon.com

Corona to appear at Senate on Friday

MANILA, Philippines -- Chief Justice Renato Corona will appear before the impeachment court on Friday, his lead defense counsel, retired Justice Serafin Cuevas, said Thursday.

Cuevas told reporters at the Medical City hospital in Pasig City, where Corona is confined, that he was able to convince the Chief Justice to appear at the impeachment court because of the ultimatum given by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile for the defense to wrap up its case by Friday.

The ultimatum was handed down after Corona capped his close to three-hour opening statement on Tuesday by suddenly walking out of the session hall, angering Enrile.

Corona's lawyers and family later explained he had suffered from hypoglycemia, or a sudden drop in his blood sugar levels.

The diabetic Corona was taken to the Medical City where he was confined at the intensive care unit.

Cuevas said Corona's family and his doctors were originally not amenable to allowing the magistrate to go.

However, he said he explained the need for Corona to appear lest he lose his case.

source: interaksyon.com

Corona in ICU for possible heart attack - SC spokesman

Chief Justice Renato Corona has been admitted to the intensive care unit of The Medical City "for a possible heart attack," Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez said early Wednesday.

Corona was brought to the hospital Tuesday evening after complaining of dizziness during his impeachment trial earlier in the day.

In a telephone interview aired over ANC, Marquez said he had visited Corona late Tuesday and talked to the magistrate about the possibility of returning to the Senate for the continuation of his testimony on Wednesday. He said he was at the hospital until 11 p.m.

"When I got home, I received the disturbing news that he was wheeled to the ICU for a possible heart attack," Marquez said.

Defense lawyers earlier said that Corona, who has diabetes, had suffered from low blood sugar after giving an almost three-hour opening statement at his impeachment trial Tuesday afternoon.

Marquez said family members had informed him that Corona has had a previous double bypass and has weak kidneys, among other medical conditions.

He said Corona was under sedation when he arrived at the hospital and was "kinda groggy" when they talked earlier in the evening.

"He asked me about the hearing tomorrow. I told him if he's physically able to attend, it would be best because the senators are waiting for him," Marquez said.

"I thought he would be alright already," Marquez added.

Senate President and presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has warned the defense team that Corona's testimony would be stricken from the court records, and the senator-judges would make a decision on the basis of previous evidence if the magistrate does not return to the impeachment court on Wednesday for cross-examination.

Enrile was outraged when Corona capped his lengthy opening statement by saying, "And now the chief justice of the Republic of the Philippines wishes to be excused," before briskly walking out of the Senate hall despite the Senate President's appeal for him to come back because he had not yet been discharged.

Corona looked disheveled when he was brought back to the hall after an hour. He remained silent while Enrile was castigating lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas about the actions of his client.

Marquez said Corona's wife Cristina and their two children were at the hospital with the chief justice. A medical bulletin will be issued about Corona's condition at around 8 or 9 a.m. Wednesday, he added. - YA, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

Corona: 'My conscience is clean'

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE 2 - 3:24 p.m.) On the 40th day of his impeachment trial, Chief Justice Renato Corona finally took the witness stand in his own defense and prefaced his testimony to declare his conscience “clean” and, at one point, breaking down in tears.

“Mga minahamal kong kababayan, nandito ako sa impeachment trial upang tumupad sa aking pangako sa sambayanan upang magpaliwanag sa lahat (My beloved countrymen, I am here at the impeachment trial to fulfill my promise to the people to explain everything),” Corona said in a statement he read before he was sworn in to testify.

"Malinis po ang aking konsensya at ito po ay sinasabi ko sa sambayanang Pilipino. Uulitin ko po, malinis po ang aking konsensya (My conscience is clean and I am saying this to the Filipino people. I repeat, my conscience is clean)," Corona said in a statement he read before he was sworn in.

He also scored the Aquino administration, which he said used “the whole machinery of government against me, poured the whole force of the administration just to remove one person.”

"They broke all laws to fish for evidence against me. They attempted to pin me down via means that undermine our laws," Corona said.

He lamented that his trial had been marked by “anger, hatred, revenge against one person.”

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile interrupted Corona a number of times to ask how much longer he needed but allowed the magistrate to proceed.

And when private prosecutor Mario Bautista rose to object to Corona’s tirade against President Benigno Aquino III, Enrile cut him short and said the Chief Justice could continue.

Corona at times waxed defiant as when he said a senator he did not name threatened to expose him in public.

“Tingan natin (Let us see),” he said.

Corona also said there were three reasons why Aquino allegedly wants him ousted: Hacienda Luisita, the Tarlac sugar estate owned by the President’s family and which the Supreme Court ordered distributed to farmers; Aquino’s alleged desire to control all three branches of government; and the alleged takeover of government by the Left, as personified by presidential political adviser Ronald Llamas and his cohorts.

As Corona recounted what he said was his family’s “simple life,” he broke down in tears and Enrile declared a two-minute suspension.

source: interaksyon.com

Uncertainty about Corona guilt strong but majority trust Senate to be fair - survey

MANILA, Philippines -- Just below half of all Filipinos -- 47 percent -- think Chief Justice Renato Corona is guilty of the charges against him but almost as many -- 43 percent -- have yet to make up their minds about him, the results of a recent Pulse Asia released on Tuesday showed.

However, only five percent of respondents to the survey conducted form February 26 to March 9 think the Chief Justice is innocent and, of this percentage, only one percent believes he is “definitely innocent.”

Most of those who think Corona is innocent are in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon and Mindanao and belong to Classes D and E, the survey showed.

Of those who think Corona guilty, only 15 percent are certain about his guilty while 33 percent see him as “probably guilty.

The survey also showed a high level of interest among Filipinos in Corona’s impeachment trial, with eight out of 10 saying they follow the proceedings.

But no matter how they feel about Corona, the majority of the respondents -- 69 percent -- said they expect the Senate to be fair and impartial in judging the case against the Chief Justice.

This sentiment prevailed across geographic areas and socio-economic groups.

Public opinion was also split on the question of whether the House of Representatives railroaded Corona’s impeachment, with 32 percent saying it did and 38 percent believing otherwise.

But in Metro Manila, almost 50% of the respondents believe the House fast-tracked the process.
The survey was conducted among 1,200 adult respondents and has a +/-3% error margin.

The prevailing issues at the time of the survey were Corona’s impeachment trial, the arraignment for electoral fraud of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the magnitude-6.9 earthquake that struck the Visayas, and the 26th anniversary of the 1986 People Power uprising.

source: interaksyon.com

Defense maintains Corona properties properly declared in SALN

MANILA, Philippines -- Lawyers of Chief Justice Renato Corona maintained on Monday that his properties had been properly declared in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

The two witnesses of the defense -- the registrar of deeds of Quezon City and the city assessor of Makati City -- testified on the condominiums and lots owned by Corona and his wife, Ma. Cristina, and the fair value and assessed market value of these properties.

Corona’s condominium unit in The Columns in Makati City had an assessed value of P726,000 at the time a Deed of Sale was executed in 2004.

Mario Badillo, Makati City assessor, said the property had a fair market value of P1.2 million since 2008, the same value Corona declared in his SALN.

The assessed value is used in computing real estate taxes, while the fair market value refers to the price agreed upon by the buyer and the seller.

For the Quezon City properties, Carlo Alcantara, registrar of deeds, said the Coronas sold their Ayala Heights property in 2010 for P8 million.

Their 1,200-square meter property in La Vista Subdivision, which they acquired in 2003, and had an assessed market value of P450,000 and a fair market value of P3 million, was sold to their daughter Ma. Carla Castillo in 2010 for P18 million.

On the other hand, the title to a condominium unit owned by the Coronas in Burgundy Plaza, which they acquired in 2003, had an annotation showing the parking lot does not belong to the couple, but they are allowed to use it.

source: interaksyon.com

Prosecution concludes presentation of evidence for Article 3

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE, 3:30 p.m.) The House prosecution panel on Wednesday concluded its presentation of evidence on Article 3 after it dropped two accusations in the same article of the verified complaint lodged against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The prosecution said it would focus its evidence only on the case between Philippine Airlines and the Flight Attendants' and Stewards' Association of the Philippines (FASAP) against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao told the court the prosecution will be dropping allegations particularly "in creating an excessive entanglement with Mrs. Arroyo through her appointment of his wife to office; in discussing with litigants regarding cases pending before the Supreme Court" and the use of public funds for personal use.

This means that the prosecution's witness for Article 3 is only FASAP president Bob Anduiza. On Tuesday, the impeachment court barred the prosecution from presenting as witness the Vice President for Sales of PAL.

"In so far as the prosecution is concerned, we have concluded presentation of evidence with respect to FASAP case covered by Paragraph 3.1 to 3.3 of the Articles of Impeachment," Aggabao told the court.

To which presiding officer Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile replied: "You have totally waived other...you remove everything else? You will not present anymore evidence on this portion of Article 3 and will not be presented for the consideration of the impeachment body? That is very clear."

source: interaksyon.com

Corona lawyers won't seek inhibition of senators

MANILA, Philippines -- Lawyers of Chief Justice Renato Corona will not seek the inhibition of four senator-judges the impeached magistrate alleged in a supplemental petition submitted to the Supreme Court were acting like prosecutors.

Defense spokesperson Tranquil Salvador III said they only wanted to point out instances that these senator-judges were not being fair.

In his supplemental position, Corona named Senators Franklin Drilon, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Pangilinan, Teofisto Guingona III and Sergio Osmena III.

The defense team had earlier filed for a motion to inhibit against Drilon but this was not acted on by the impeachment court.

Describing the Senate’s reaction to this motion, Salvador said:"Para kang nagtext ng pagkahaba-haba tapos ang sagot sayo ay (It’s like you texted a very long message and the answer you get is) 'ok'."

Another defense spokesperson, Rene Quicho, said senator-judges should only ask clarificatory questions or questions regarding points of law.


source: interaksyon.com

PSBank keeps mum on Corona dollar accounts

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Savings Bank on Thursday stood pat on its earlier decision to keep secret the dollar deposit records of Chief Justice Renato Corona amid a subpoena issued by the impeachment court.

In a letter submitted to the court, PSBank president Pascual Garcia III said that he could not disclose any information pertaining to the dollar accounts reiterating that it would violate the law of foreign currency deposits.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said the matter would be taken up in another caucus of the senator-judges on Monday, February 13.

Former Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas, the lead defense counsel, stood up stated anew that there is a pending motion before the Supreme Court to stop the release of the bank accounts.

Senator Francis Pangilinan said that while the Senate should “tread carefully” in deciding on the matter, “it should not tread erroneously” and keep in mind the supremacy of the impeachment court in trying the chief justice.

Despite his non-disclosure of the dollar accounts, Garcia was called anew as the first witness on Day 15 of the trial.

source: interaksyon.com