Chief Justice files reply to impeachment charges against him in the Senate

MANILA, Philippines–Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona on Monday formally filed his answer on the impeachment complaint filed against him in the Senate.

Corona’s 79-page answer  was personally delivered by a certain Atty. Dexter Corpus to Atty. Jose Banez, officer-in-charge at the Office of the Senate Secretary a little past 3 p.m., the deadline given by the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, to Corona to answer the complaint.

The Senate impeachment court had directed Corona to answer the complaint after it formally convened on December 14, or before Congress took a Christmas break.

Under the rules, the respondent has 10-day non-extendible period to file his answer to the complaint upon receipt of the summons. The prosecution, on the other hand, has five days to reply to the answer of the respondent.

The impeachment court will resume session on January 16 to formally start the trial.

Corona has been accused of partiality and subservience in cases involving the Arroyo administration, for alleged failure to disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth, for blatantly disregarding the principle of separation of powers by issuing a status quo ante order against the House of Representatives in the case concerning the impeachment of then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, and failure and refusal to account for the Judiciary Development Fund and Special Allowance for the Judiciary  collections, among others.