Corona won’t quit; says he won’t make it easy for gov’t

MANILA — Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona admitted on Thursday that he considered giving up his post to put an end to the criticisms leveled at him by President Aquino and avoid what he said could be a difficult impeachment trial.

Addressing the gathering of government lawyers in Manila Hotel, the embattled Corona also disclosed that he thought of inhibiting himself from the cases involving former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“I know there was an easy way out of this—to inhibit or to resign. If I resign (as chief justice), maybe there would be peace for me and the insults thrown at me would cease,” Corona said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“But after a long and deep reflection, I told myself, ‘Is this really how it should be? That if someone wants something, he could easily get it?” he continued.

“I thought it’s time for me to say that enough is enough,” Corona said, drawing applause from the state lawyers.

Corona was supposed to deliver his speech before the members of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) at around 2 p.m., but he arrived at the venue several hours later.

Interestingly, PAO is an attached agency of the Department of Justice.

Corona said he had started preparing for his defense in the impeachment trial in the Senate which, he said, “will not be easy.”

“It hurts to be accused of something that is not true. I expect all sorts of accusations to be thrown at me which the media would pick up,” he said.

“I know that the impeachment trial will not be easy because there will be lies against me. They will not only insult me. They will also peddle lies about me.”

While the process would be painful for him and his family, the chief justice said he would be “willing to go through that.”

“This is not just a personal fight for me… I have to fight for the rule of law,” he said.

Corona then sought the support of the government lawyers, saying: “I ask you to bear with me, to stand with me. This is a fight for all freedom-loving Filipinos. I love you all.” INQUIRER