President Aquino to hound erring justices

President Benigno Aquino III said Friday night he would not hesitate to go after associate justices of the Supreme Court committing impeachable offenses.

In a GMA TV news interview, Mr. Aquino was asked if he would also move against the other justices appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo if the decisions of the Supreme Court continued to go against the administration even with Chief Justice Renato Corona’s impeachment trial.

“If they have violations of the Constitution, if there is an impeachable offense,” he replied.

An overwhelming majority of the sitting justices were appointed during Arroyo’s nine-year term.

The President said it would be good if the issues raised against Corona would have a resolution during his trial in the Senate beginning in January.

“So now that there is accountability. We brought back the issue that there can be no impunity.  There is accountability,” he said.

Mr. Aquino mounted an unprecedented attack on Corona in a series of nationally televised speeches earlier this month. The House of Representatives followed suit, impeaching the chief magistrate with 188 representative signing eight articles of impeachment for culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust and graft and corruption.

The charges stemmed primarily from alleged bias of Corona in a number of decisions involving Arroyo, although critics of the move pointed out that Supreme Court decisions were collegial. The corruption charges allege that Corona had not filed his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. The court in 1991 ruled that magistrates could only file their SALN with the tribunal.

The Senate has convened itself into an impeachment court, which will begin hearings upon the resumption of its session next month following the Christmas break.

The House justice committee earlier voted to impeach Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo for plagiarism in connection with a decision on Filipino “comfort women” during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II.

Congressional sources said at least two other justices could be impeached for bribery.

First posted 9:45 pm | Saturday, December 24th, 2011