Justices, court execs, staff hold mass for Corona at SC ahead of trial

SHOW OF SUPPORT The Supreme Court throws its support behind its embattled Chief Justice, Renato Corona ahead of his impeachment trial that starts Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. TETCH TORRES/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Court officials and employees on Monday gathered at the Supreme Court for a mass at the start of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Clad in black, about 3,000 attended the gathering.

Associate Justices Bienvenido Reyes (appointee of President Aquino), Jose Perez, Jose Mendoza, Martin Villarama, Arturo Brion, Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Lucas Bersamin and Presbitero Velasco joined with Corona and his wife Cristina.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo stressed on the importance of guarding the independence of the institutions.

“It is very unfortunate that the independence of the lower house is no longer there because of pork barrel. We pray that the Senate be more independent. We pray that this exercise not be about political alliance.”

He called on the court officers and employees to “be courageous to fight for justice and independence.”

“Let us all in the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary be governed by justice and not by technicalities of the law, political alliances and by the lure of money and power,” Pabillo said.

Originally posted at 10:23 am | Monday,  January 16, 2012