Noynoy plotting dictatorship—CJ

CORONA BLASTS AQUINO; JUDGES CHEER

The gloves are really off, with Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona giving President Aquino as good as the head of the Judiciary gets from the Chief Executive, with the CJ calling him a “looming dictator” who wants a puppet high court and CJ that dance to his strings.

And the various judges in Metro Manila who came in support of Corona at the SC premises applauded and cheered him on for defending the Judiciary’s independence, which Corona vowed to lead in the fight.

His blasts at Aquino apparently unnerved the Palace, as the presidential spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, called for Corona to take a leave of absence, saying the CJ has no right to hit out at Aquino and call him a dictator (see related story).

Nothing short of a dictatorship is being put up by Malacañang, Corona said yesterday, finally breaking his silence over the railroaded impeachment proceedings against him.

In a half-hour speech in Filipino delivered before a huge crowd of supporters in the SC’s courtyard, Corona denounced the impeachment

initiative against him claiming, at one point, that it had been “brought about by desire to create a Supreme Court that can be dictated to, and will bow to their every wish and scramble to grant the Malacañang occupant every wish he makes.”

The Chief Justice vowed that he would not resign from his post and said he will not give in to the “dictates” of Aquino.

“We will not allow them (Aquino) to insult and degrade democracy and the Supreme Court,” the usually soft spoken CJ said yesterday. “Perhaps they know that we are not going to be dictated upon, and want me to resign, but I will not resign from the mandate given me,” Corona said in Filipino.

Corona was impeached by the House of Representatives on Monday, and called the Aquino-led Liberal Party’s move to impeach him as “blackmail,” adding that the 188 lawmakers who signed the impeachment complaint against him railroaded the case.

He also warned that if he is convicted, Aquino would become a virtual dictator, as he would gain control of the three branches of government.

“In the event the impeachment succeeds against me, what do you think is going to happen? Simply this: Mr. Aquino who already has control of his Cabinet and Congress, and he will have control over the Supreme Court,” as Aquino will now be able to appoint his “puppets” to the high court.

“This impeachment comes out of greed and the desire to have a Supreme Court that he (Aquino) can dictate to and one that will obey his every bidding,” he added.

Corona also criticized the process before the lower house which he described as controlled by the administration Liberal Party of Aquino and his allies.

“Suddenly, I was charged with impeachment by the lower house which is controlled by the Liberal Party of Mr. Aquino and his allies.In the haste, no one seemed to have understood or even read the almost 60 pages of the complaint…We recognize the process in the Constitution on complaints against members of the Supreme Court. However, We cannot recognize the abuse of power and processes to take advantage of it so that they can place their appointees as magistrates of the Supreme Court.

Corona in his speech denied failing to disclose his assets as required by law and said he has religiously filed his statement of assets,liabilities and net worth yearly.

The head magistrate said he sees nothing wrong in accepting his appointment as chief justice by former president Gloria Arroyo which the Palace insists violated the ban against midnight appointees.

“They say I am a midnight appointtee. That I should not have accepted the position. Why? So that Mr. Aquino can appoint a chief justice he can control as he will be holding the CJ by the neck?”

Corona pointed out that his appointment underwent the prescribed process in the Constitution of going through the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) which was headed at the time by then retiring Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

“This has long been decided by the Supreme Court. It’s finished. If they had a complaint about the SC decision, they should have contested it then.”

Corona also brushed as mere lies and blackmail the other charges in the complaint and said his vote in the high tribunal is only one in fifteen.

“My vote is only one vote the same as the last appointed magistrate. The force and effectiveness of my view is the same as of any of the other justices. We are all equal here (in the SC).

He asserted that he and the other Supreme Court magistrates are independent and are not biased, and added that he treats the impeachment complaint as an affront not just on him but on every Filipino.

He stressed that it is not true that they (Palace) only wants me ousted. I believe that the entire judiciary is being targetted, because his (Aquino’s) true intent is to destroy the judiciary, destroy our democracy and for all to obey the orders of the king.”

Court judges and personnel wore black and cut office hours short yesterday as a sign of support for the chief justice, forcing court sessions scheduled at the Manila Court to be cancelled.

Manila RTC Judges Association President Antonio Eugenio clarified that their protest action was not only intended to throw their support to the embattled SC Corona but to assail Malacañang over its outright disrespect to the Judiciary and judicial processes.

Many of the judges and court personnel in the country, according to Eugenio, couldn’t help but express their disgust over the recent actions of the Aquino administration.

“This is a sign of our indignation,” Eugenio said, adding that Manila courts will go back to session on Thursday.

At noon the doors of the different Manila courts swung open and judges and court personnel cheered and cried as they walked out from their offices.

Eugenio said the court personnel and judges were not forced to join them in their mass action.

Led by the judges, the members of the Manila RTC and Manila Metropolitan Trial Court converged at the ground floor of the city hall before they started their march to the Supreme Court and joined their peers from different RTCs.

Eugenio said that around 500 judges and court employees in Metro Manila went o the SC in Manila to throw their support to their chief. “We are behind the chief justice in this, no matter what the cost,” Eugenio said.

The Manila Judge Association president agreed that the brazen filing of an impeachment complaint against Corona sends a chilling effect among members of the Judiciary as he pointed out that the recent events may become a precedent of the future bullying against the judges and magistrates.

For Judge Pampilo, the members of the judiciary are giving Aquino a dose of his own medicine by making their own version of mass revolt against the the president.

“The decision (to impeach) was rushed. All of us are saddened by what happened,” said Pampilo, adding how they decided to declare a nationwide court holiday in a show of support for Corona.

“Majority of us wore black today and will march from the Manila regional trial court towards the Supreme Court where Chief Justice will give a speech,” he added.When asked if the country is going toward a constitutional crisis, Pampilo said: “That’s why we are making such demonstration to prevent that from happening.

“The whole judiciary is united in averting a constitutional crisis that’s why we are united in showing the country that we are not pushovers and no one can dictate what we have to do,” he said.

In various parts of the country, judges and justices also called for a court holiday and wore black, in support for the chief justice.

Employees of the various courts in Cagayan Valley and the rest of the second judicial region showed their solid support for Chief Justice Corona.

According to reports, the solidarity protest against Corona’s impeachment was staged in the various trial courts in the region with some of the employees and other members of the bar and bench dressed in black.

Several courts in Isabela and Santiago even did not hold any hearings in support of said solidarity protest. Expressions of support were likewise given by court employees in Nueva Vizcaya and Cagayan.

Likewise, former Justice Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he believed that the swift filing of impeachment complaint against Corona was effected without due process. –Benjamin B. Pulta, Daily Tribune