Palace disowns text series of ‘black prop’

Malacañang on Saturday denied that it was behind the series of anonymous propaganda against Chief Justice Renato Corona that reporters covering President Benigno Aquino III received almost simultaneously in a number of instances last week.

“Rest assured that the administration doesn’t act that way. If we have a statement to make, we speak to the members of the media,” Undersecretary Abigail Valte, the President’s deputy spokesperson, said over state radio dzRB.

“We send text messages but they come from our personal numbers. We do not resort to messages from unnamed [senders]. If and when we do make statements, we do it officially,” she said.

Some of the text messages quoted opinion columns and news reports presented in such a way as to put in a bad light Corona and officials of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), who have been criticized as partial to the Chief Justice.

There were also messages containing unsubstantiated allegations of impropriety against Corona and his perceived defenders.

No IBP consultation

Valte also took issue with the IBP’s recent statements on Corona’s impeachment trial, to the effect that the House prosecutors had failed to prove the Chief Justice’s alleged ill-gotten wealth after seven days of hearings.

“As a member of the IBP, I will say that the views being propounded by the leadership of the IBP are not mine. I know a lot of IBP members who also do not subscribe to these views,” Valte said.

“I don’t know how they come up with [these statements]. Do they come up with these on their own or do they consult their members? Certainly, I have not been consulted,” she said.

In a bulletin released on Friday as part of its “independent” monitoring of the trial, the IBP said the prosecution had so far fallen short of proving Corona’s alleged ill-gotten wealth.

It said the prosecution’s comparison of Corona’s income tax returns with his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth would not suffice to show prima facie presumption of guilt that would warrant his conviction.

“Obviously, there are steps before coming to that conclusion that you have to do,” Valte said.

She reiterated the administration’s contention that the prosecution panel, made up of Mr. Aquino’s allies in the House of Representatives, was able to produce the evidence that it needed to present in court.

“The important thing is the evidence that the prosecution wanted to come up with was brought out so that we can come to the conclusion … [Is Chief Justice Corona] fit or unfit?” she said.