Prosecution defends request for appearance of PAL execs in impeach trial

MANILA, Philippines – The prosecution defended its request before the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, for the appearance of two Philippine Airlines officials who were expected to shed light on the alleged special privileges given to Chief Justice Renato Corona despite a pending case lodged before the Supreme Court against PAL.

Speaking to reporters, Marikina Representative Miro Quimbo, spokesman for the prosecution, said that their request was based on Article 3, which accused the chief magistrate of failing to maintain his competence, integrity, probity and independence in his alleged involvement with the case filed by the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) against PAL.

“The theory is that the chief justice’s competence, integrity, probity and independence has been compromised by privileges that were given by PAL, particularly at the time when Supreme Court was deciding on cases involving PAL.”

“We have evidence which would explain how the chief justice and his family received benefits from PAL,” the spokesman said in Filipino. Adding that they wanted to raise the issue in the trial not only because Corona allegedly received benefits and gifts from PAL but because these supposed benefits were given to him at the time the FASAP case was being heard by the Supreme Court.

“[This was done] despite the fact that PAL participated and accepted the jurisdiction of the decisions… pero biglang-bigla po ex parte ay binaligtad po ito en banc in an administrative circular. The chief justice is the administrative head and we deem him as the number one person when it comes to this particular decision.”

Quimbo further explained that PAL’s records and the alleged platinum cards of the Corona couple “will show their different travels [and] would prove and validate the initial info we have. But like I said, we will let the prosecutors establish that link.”