BACOLOD CITY — Civil society groups in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, have launched a movement that seeks to remove Chief Justice Renato Corona for loss of confidence.
The Negrenses for Corona Removal (N4CR) is composed of representatives of at least 10 multi-sectoral groups in Bacolod who believed that Corona should be removed through impeachment process.
“Corona lied, and lied blatantly, when under oath, he intentionally under-valued the properties that he purchased while an officer of the government, first as member of the executive arm and later as a justice of the Supreme Court,” the N4CR said in a statement read by convenor Nana Yulo of the Negrense 4 Noy2 Movement during the N4CR launching on Tuesday.
The statement said the discrepancy between the values of the residential condominiums that Corona placed in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth as against the prices indicated in their respective purchase and sale contracts do not lie and could not be refuted.
“A public officer occupying a high and sensitive position must not only appear pure, he must also appear and be accepted by the public as pure, and in this, Corona has proven himself unfit,” the statement added.
The group maintained that the authority bestowed upon him gives him power to determine life and to wield such enormous power, “he must have our absolute trust and confidence which, unfortunately, is no longer present.”
The N4CR was signed by Yulo; Andres Hagad of the Liberal Party; Eres Bernaldo of the Bacolod Citizens Alliance for Good Governance (BCAGG); Jovito Berdin, Alliance of Labor Reform; Omon Maravilla and Jenhra Rose Garcia, Akbayan Youth; Leo Gaje III, Kabataang Liberal Bacolod; Edwin Balajadia, BCAGG/Akbayan Negros; Alex Ozoa, Paghiliusa sa Paghidaet-Negros/Peace Advocates of Negros (PAN); Dondi Poblado, Tuloy Pinoy Negros; and Andrea Si, Development Through Active Women Networking Foundation/PAN.
The core convenors of N4CR are composed of various progressive and social groups and individuals who have been supporting the tuwid na daan (straight path) governance of the Aquino administration, said Maravilla, who read the group’s concept paper at the press conference.
The group planned to hold a Mass for truth and justice, the dissemination of materials on the impeachment issues and the holding of a people’s impeachment court or impeachment watch every Friday to summarize the issues at the impeachment hearings during the week, he added.
Corona, however, has the support of the members of the Philippine Association of Court Employees (Pace) in Negros Occidental and some judges. Pace Negros president Zen Captar said they prayed that the rule of law would prevail because they know Corona could defend himself. /INQUIRER