SC grants release of late Chief Justice Corona’s retirement benefits

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has granted the plea of former Chief Justice Renato Corona’s wife to claim her deceased husband’s retirement benefits and other allowances.

In a decision dated January 12 and penned by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, the high court says Corona is “entitled to retirement benefits and other allowances under Republic Act No. 9946 equivalent to a five-year lump sum of the salary and other allowances he was receiving at the time of his removal by impeachment on May 29, 2012.”

“The claim of survivorship benefits of Ma. Cristina Roco Corona is hereby GRANTED reckoned from the lapse of the five-year period on the lump sum,” the SC ruling also says.

According to the SC, “the effects of a judgment on an impeachment complaint extends no further than removal from office and disqualification from holding any public office,” thus, “an impeached public officer whose civil, criminal or administrative liability was not judicially established may be considered involuntarily retired from service” and is entitled to the retirement benefits provided under RA 9946, which provides for the grant of additional retirement benefits for members of the Judiciary, and RA 8291 or the Government Service Insurance System Act of 1997.

Corona, appointed as Chief Justice in May 2010, was removed from office in May 2012 following an impeachment trial in the Senate over his failure to fully disclose his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).

He died of cardiac arrest in April 2016 at the age of 67.

Charges filed against Corona were terminated upon his death.

KGA