Chief Justice Renato Corona. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Chief Justice Renato Corona knows that his decision to testify at his own impeachment trial in the Senate is just the start of his “calvary.”
Addressing the 15th National Convention of the Philippine Association of Court Employees in Puerto Princesa City on Friday, Corona cited the reforms that the Supreme Court had purportedly implemented under his leadership despite “vicious political and media attacks” on the judiciary.
Like in his previous public speeches, the Chief Justice said his tiff with President Benigno Aquino III “came on the heels of the [Supreme Court] decision on Hacienda Luisita,” the sprawling sugar estate owned by the President’s family.
“I just hope that the sufferings of the oppressed farmers would finally come to an end. But my own calvary as chief magistrate has just started,” Corona said, apparently referring to his much-awaited appearance at the trial.
He said the support that he had been receiving from members of the judiciary and other individuals had inspired him to fight for the high tribunal’s ruling, which ended the land dispute that “spanned over the terms of nine presidents and almost 60 excruciating years.”
“I expect that (Malacañang) will not stop until they have torn me to pieces and gain control of the Supreme Court. That’s the only way for the court to reverse the (Hacienda Luisita) ruling or grant their petition to collect billions of pesos as payment for the land which do not belong to them,” he said.
“This fight is not mine alone. It is a struggle of all freedom-loving Filipinos who believe in the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers, principles which define us as a people and our worthiness to live in a democracy,” he said.
In a text message to reporters, Corona asked the media to “just wait” for what he would reveal in his testimony before the Senate impeachment court.
“Relax lang. Just wait for my testimony,” the Chief Justice replied when asked what he would disclose in his appearance in the witness stand.
The defense panel expects the Chief Justice to take the stand a week after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and the other personalities had testified in connection with Corona’s alleged $10 million in bank deposits, said Ramon Esguerra, one of Corona’s lawyers.
Esguerra downplayed reports that Corona would invoke the Foreign Currency Deposit Act to skirt questions about his supposed euro and dollar deposits.