Chief Justice Renato Corona. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Chief Justice Renato Corona’s lawyers won’t say if the country’s embattled top jurist will comply with the order issued by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on April 20 directing him to explain his alleged $10 million in bank deposits.
“The public will just have to wait on the action to be taken by the Chief Justice, if any,” said defense lawyer and spokesperson Tranquil Salvador III.
Morales, acting on three complaints brought before her office on the alleged undeclared income of Corona, ordered the impeached Chief Justice to submit a reply “within 72 hours from notice.”
On Monday, Corona denied owning multimillion-dollar deposits and claimed the Ombudsman’s order was “clear retaliation” against the Supreme Court’s decision ordering the distribution of Hacienda Luisita to its workers.
Morales’ order was issued just four days before the high court handed down the final verdict on the dispute over the vast sugar estate owned by President Aquino’s Cojuangco clan.
Corona said it was “part of the black propaganda and mind-conditioning preparatory to the resumption of (the impeachment) trial on May 7.”
The Chief Justice echoed his defense lawyers’ position that the Ombudsman has no jurisdiction over the Chief Justice, one of several high-ranking officials who can be removed only by impeachment.
Ombudsman Law
In ordering Corona to explain his alleged dollar accounts, Morales cited her powers under Republic Act No. 6770, the Ombudsman Law.
Article XI, Section 13, of the Constitution also authorizes the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate, on its own, complaints against any public official for illegal acts.
Marikina Representative Romero Quimbo, a spokesperson for the prosecution in Corona’s impeachment trial, said that “knowing the unquestionable reputation” of Morales, she would not undertake any investigation unless there is sufficient legal grounds.
“She won’t throw that reputation away by allowing herself to be used by anyone,” he said, adding that all the speculations on the dollar accounts could have been prevented had Corona not refused to disclose them.
Salvador said he disagreed with the way Quimbo was framing the legal question on whether the Chief Justice could be investigated by the Ombudsman.
“It’s not a question of a person’s reputation but a question on whether the Office of the Ombudsman has jurisdiction and legal authority to investigate the Chief,” said Salvador.
“This is undoubtedly a legal question and cannot be answered by simply referring to the supposed good character or reputation of the public officer issuing the questioned order,” he said.