MANILA, Philippines ? Chief Justice Renato Corona has strongly denied the claim of an online news magazine that he met with Jose ?Peping? Cojuangco in his home in Dasmariñas Village, Makati City, sometime in June.

?This is not true at all. The Chief Justice categorically denies this. No such meeting took place. The Chief Justice does not know Mr. Cojuangco personally,? court spokesman Midas Marquez said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

He said the Newsbreak article was ?quite malicious? since it was released a day after the Supreme Court scheduled the Hacienda Luisita agrarian reform dispute for oral arguments.

The Newsbreak article, which appeared on Wednesday, was based on an unnamed source and did not give details about the supposed meeting. It said Cojuangco, who is President Benigno Aquino III's maternal uncle and who is said to have a controlling stake in the contested Hacienda Luisita, has denied that the meeting took place.

But Newsbreak went on to raise "ethical questions,? citing the Supreme Court decision to call for oral arguments on the Hacienda Luisita case.

?It?s unfortunate that something is being invented to raise ethical questions. To begin with, no such meeting took place,? Marquez added.

?Things like this have to stop because it erodes slowly the public's trust and confidence in the Supreme Court. This has to stop. These kinds of reports have to stop,? he added.