Prosecution seeks appearance of 2 PAL execs over Corona ‘privileges’

MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution team requested the appearance next week of two officials of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) and other pertinent documents to prove that Chief Justice Renato Corona allegedly received special privileges from PAL while its case was pending before the Supreme Court.

In a four-page request for issuance of subpoena filed before the Office of the Senate Secretary Wednesday night, the prosecutors requested the appearance of Enrique Javier and Ria Carrion Domingo, vice presidents for sales and product loyalty marketing of PAL, respectively, along with records of PAL Platinum Card No. A752 in the name of the Chief Justice and PAL Platinum Card No. A753 in the name of Corona’s wife, Cristina.

They also requested the PAL representatives to bring the passenger name records and at least eight plane tickets of the couple.

“They will testify on the circumstances of the issuance and use of the PAL platinum cards identified above,” said the four-page request.

“They will also identify the documents listed above on other matters related to Article 111 of the impeachment complaint,” it added.

Article 3 of the impeachment states Corona’s alleged failure “to meet and observe the stringent standards under the Constitution that provided that a member of the judiciary must be a person of proven competence, integrity, probity and independence in allowing the Supreme Court to act on mere letters filed by a counsel which caused the issuance of flip-flopping decisions in final and executory cases; in creating an excessive entanglement with Mrs. Arroyo through her appointment of his wife to office; and in discussing with litigants cases pending in the Supreme Court.”

The prosecutors also requested the appearance of Clerk of Court Enriqueta Vidal and Deputy Clerk of Court Felipa Anama still in connection with the Supreme Court’s resolution recalling its final decision on the illegal retrenchment case filed by the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) against PAL.

The two SC officials were also requested to bring pertinent documents, including records of the FASAP case and various letters of lawyer Estelito Mendoza to the court.