Corona confident of Senate acquittal in impeach trial

SAYING “there’s  no turning back,” embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona dismissed anew the charges filed against him by the House of Representatives as “fake” and a “big lie.”

Corona told an enthusiastic crowd of supporters gathered at the Supreme Court building in Manila that he expected the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, to acquit him.

While Cebu’s legal community called on Corona to take a leave of absence for the duration of the impeachment trial, only a few court workers and judges expressed support for the Chief Justice by wearing purple arm bands and clothing.

In a 27-minute speech, the Chief Justice insisted that he and his family owned only five of the 45 properties that were linked to them by prosecutors from the House of Representatives before his impeachment trial began.

He said the other properties were either owned by his in-laws, his in-laws’ dead parents, his broker, people he didn’t know, and even by the National Housing Authority.

Corona said these properties were included in the list to “make it appear” that these were his.

Corona also lashed out at three powerful persons he did not name for supposedly conspiring to oust him.

He was referring to President Aquino III, Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas, and Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

“There’s no turning back. This fight has become bigger than me and my family. Our enemies are truly powerful and influential. They are using different government agencies to oppress us,” Corona said.

“All of their accusations are fiction, maybe to hide their deficiencies. They do not respect the senators of the impeachment court. They violated many laws. In their intent to make me resign, they did nothing but to try to scare me,” he said.

Among those in the crowd were 10 other Supreme Court justices, former Supreme Court Justice Adolf Azcuna and Camilo Sabio, former chair of the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

“They say I am a hindrance. True! I am a big hindrance for those who want to stop the distribution of land to the farmers of Hacienda Luisita,” Corona said, eliciting applause from the crowd.

President Aquino’s relatives owns Hacienda Luisita, which the Supreme Court ordered last November distributed to its farmers.

“I am also a big hindrance to one who is in a hurry to become Vice President although (he) was defeated in 2010. And let us not go farther. I am also a big hindrance to someone who has long ambitioned to become Chief Justice,” Corona said, eliciting loud applause from those present.

“Those three are conspiring to oust me from my post. And most of all, I am a big hindrance to the establishment of a dictatorship,” he added.

Corona said that when the controversy over his doctorate in civil law from the University of Sto. Tomas fizzled out, his detractors came out with a “fake” list from the Land Registration Authority (LRA) of 45 properties that he or his family supposedly owned.

Corona’s legal team said they would block any attempts of the House panel to compel his family members to appear at the witness stand.

In response, Malacañang dismissed as nothing but a “desperate ploy” Corona’s allegation that there was a conspiracy against him.

“The man on the dock is the Chief Justice. He is there, impeached and undergoing trial, because of his behavior. He has no one to blame for this but himself,” Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.

He also said Corona’s accusations on Roxas and Carpio “are slanderous attacks for the purpose of deflecting attention. ” “No Chief Justice has ever demeaned himself by the gutter language he used this morning,” Lacierda said.

For their part, the IBP Cebu City chapter said senators, who act as judges in the impeachment trial, should set aside their biases and ensure Corona’s right to presumption of innocence.

“We are not siding with anyone here. We are supporting all three branches of government,” IBP Cebu chapter president Earl Bonachita said.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said they will keep their distance on the impeachment trial but asked the public to pray for the spiritual guidance of the senators during the trial.

“I believe on the goodness of their heart and that their sense of justice would bring about the good of the people,” Palma told reporters.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said Cebuanos should not be distracted by the trial.

“While others laud it as an exercise of democracy, let us not be caught up in this exercise. Let us continue to keep our focus on what is really beneficial for Cebu,” she said. Inquirer with stories from Reporters Ador Vincent Mayol and Candeze R. Mongaya and Correspondents Jhunnex Napallacan, Fe Marie Dumaboc and Carmel Loise Matus