Corona intervened in PAL management, union case—witness

MANILA, Philippines – Chief Justice Renato Corona has allegedly intervened in a case filed by the union of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) against its management which resulted in the Supreme Court’s reversal of its final ruling in favor of PAL, a witness said on Tuesday.

Roberto Anduiza, president of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP), made this allegation immediately after he took the witness stand in the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court.

“Nandito kami sumusuporta sa impeachment dahil sa pangingialam ni Chief Justice Renato Corona sa kaso namin na nagresulta sa pagkabawi ng final na [We are hear supporting the impeachment because of Chief Justice Renato Coerona’s intervention in our case that resulted in the final reversal of the [decision],” Anduiza said, when asked by private prosecutor and Akbayan Partylist Representative Arlene Bag-ao why he was testifying in the trial.

The case she was referring to was that which FASAP filed in 1998 in connection with the alleged illegal retrenchment of 1,400 PAL flight attendants.

FASAP won the case at the National Labor Relations Commission but lost when PAL elevated it before the Court Appeals. FASAP raised the issue before the Supreme Court and won the case as well.

Corona’s lead counsel, former Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas,immediately moved to strike out the witness’ answer , saying it was not a “statement of fact.”

But Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, the presiding officer, directed the witness to proceed with his testimony.

Anduiza then went and related to the Senate the incidents leading to the reversal of the Supreme Court decision on Oct. 4, 2009.

In a copy of the decision that they received, Anduiza noted that the reversal was due to several letters sent PAL’s legal counsel, lawyer Estelito Mendoza, to the Supreme Court.

Bag-ao then showed to the Senate four letters from Mendoza dated Sept. 13, 16, 20, 22, 2011.

It was only after they received a copy of the Supreme Court’s resolution, Anduiza said, that they found out that Corona had participated in the deliberations of the case.

Anduiza said Corona’s participation in the resolution was unusual since the latter supposedly “took no part” since 2008.

“Kasi noong natanggap namin yung October 4 resolution lumalabas na nag participate sya [Corona] samantalang klaro sa isipan namin na nag inhibit na sya ditoas far as in 2008,” said the witness.

Asked by Enrile why he said Corona had inhibited from the case, Anduiza noted that in the past resolutions, there was a note that the Chief Justice “took no part” in it.

“Absent sya? Nagbakasyon sya? May sakit sya? Natutulog sya?” asked Enrile to which the witness said he was not aware.

In the Oct. 4, 2009 resolution, however, Anduiza noted that Corona suddenly participated in it and “took no part” again in the following resolution issued four days after.

“So lumalabas na nag particpate lang sya noong October 4,” he pointed out.

Anduiza was the first witness presented by the prosecution team for Article 3 of the impeachment complaint.