Corona Is Guilty

Chief Justice Renato C. Corona is guilty as charged meted out by the 23 senator judges, 20 found Corona guilty while three found Corona innocent.

Those who found Corona guilty are Senators Edgardo Angara, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Franklin Drilon, Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, Teofisto Guingona III, Gregorio Honasan II, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Sergio Osmeña III, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel III, Ralph Recto, Ramon Revilla, Jr., Vicente Sotto III, Antonio Trillanes IV, Manuel Villar, and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Those who found Corona innocent of the charge are Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor Santiago, and Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

The senator judges found Corona guilty for “culpable violation of the Constitution”. They found Corona guilty under Article II of the Article of Impeachment. 

The 20 senators found him to have violated the SALN law for his non disclosure of his dollar and peso bank deposits in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.  

Angara voted guilty for Corona’s failure to “complete disclosure of his assets, liabilities, and net worth in order to suppress questionable accumulation of wealth”.

Alan Peter Cayetano did not agree with the Chief Justice’s interpretation of the law as explained why the US$ 2.4 million and P80 million bank deposits are not included in Corona’s SALN.

Pia Cayetano did not agree and did not accept the defense’s reasons on Commingled funds. According to Drilon, Corona concealed his luxurious condominiums and the P180 million by not including it in his SALN.

Francis Escudero did not agree with the defense reasoning why Chief Justice Corona did not disclose his US dollar and peso deposits in his SALN.  Jinggoy E. Estrada supported the views of Escudero. Estrada voted guilty.

Guingona believes strongly the prosecution presented indisputable facts which the defense failed to present convincing evidence to support Corona’s omissions. 

Honasan said, the trial was not about personalities, emotions, or partisan politics but about judging whether a magistrate is fit for his job. He asked “did he speak out against injustice and uphold the law?” Honasan voted “guilty”.

Lacson concluded “I therefore find the respondent guilty as charged under Article 2 of the articles of impeachment.

Lapid spoke in Pilipino who strongly believed “malinaw na malinaw na si Chief Justice ay lumabag sa batas”.

Legarda said, “it was not easy, it is painful but we must do it” and voted “I convict”.

Osmeña admitted, Corona violated the Philippine Constitution for he “did not disclose in his yearly statement of SALN his bank deposits”.

Pangilinan declared, “sa kanyang mga labi na mismo nanggaling na nararapat siyang ma convict at masibak sa pwesto”.

Pimentel pointed out, “there is no law exempting commingled funds from disclosure in the SALN”.

Recto declared, “Mr. Corona knows (the SALN) this because in cases brought to the Supreme Court he had punished his fellow government workers for failing to disclose far lesser amounts”. Corona must be punished too”.

Revilla arrived that, “through his (Corona) own direct admission, the chief justice failed to properly disclose all his assets in his SALN”. Sotto followed his conscience and voted guilty. Trillanes believed Corona’s interpretation of RA 6426 is erroneous and self serving. Villar spoke in Pilipino and voted Corona guilty. 

Senate President Enrile voted last. In his talk, he summarized the processes followed in the impeachment trial. He concluded that Corona’s “deliberate act of excluding substantial assets from his sworn statement of assets, liabilities and net worth constitutes a culpable violation of the constitution”. He voted guilty.

Sen. Arroyo believes Corona’s action was “omission in good faith not impeachable”. Sen. Miriam did not only vote “acquitted”, she gave lecture. Bongbong Marcos agreed Corona “violated the SALN law, (but) this certainly does not rise to the level of an impeachment offense”.  

Carpio Is Acting CJ

Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio will be the acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after the removal of CJ Renato C. Corona from office following his conviction by the Senate impeachment court. He was found guilty of non-disclosure of some of his assets in his statements of SALN by a 20 – 3 votes.

Carpio’s takeover in acting capacity is in accordance with Rule 2, Section 2 of Administrative Matter No. 10 – 120 – SC. /MP