Chief Justice Renato Corona. PHOTO BY JOSEPH B. VIDAL/PRIB
MANILA, Philippines—Shouting “Acquit CJ,” Supreme Court employees on Tuesday gave a resounding sendoff to Chief Justice Renato Corona following an interfaith prayer rally at the high tribunal just hours before he was to appear for the first time at the Senate in his own impeachment trial, which is now on Day 40.
Wearing red shirts, around 200 court employees cheered him on while attending the interfaith rally, which included representatives from Catholics, Muslims, Baptists and other Christians, at the courtyard of the Supreme Court Centennial Building on Padre Faura, Manila.
Curiously, there was no representative from the Iglesia ni Cristo, which has supposedly lobbied senators to acquit the Chief Justice. Corona did not speak but his daughter Carla Corona-Castillo prayed for his acquittal.
“I come with confidence to (pray) to You … to guide the defense team in ensuring that truth and justice triumph at the end of the Senate trial and to acquit and vindicate Chief Justice Corona,” Carla Castillo said.
She also prayed to God to “unite a divided nation, to strengthen the Supreme Court family and the judiciary as a whole, to uphold the rule of law, to protect Justice Corona, our whole family and supporters.”
Corona attended the prayer rally, which began at 10 a.m. together with his wife Cristina and their children. The Supreme Court associate justices who were seen at the rally included Presbitero Velasco, Teresita Leonardo de Castro, and Jose Perez.
The religious leaders present included Bishop Reuben Abante of the Lighthouse Bible Baptist Church; Fr. Archie Guiriba, OFM, founder of the Shalom International Catholic Charismatic Foundation Inc.; and Jun Amad from the Muslim faith.
Abante said he was not just praying for the chief justice but also for the other members of the Corona family, saying they had received a lot of “hateful messages.”
Court employees tied red ribbons around the courtyard and brought along banners proclaiming their support for Corona. “Fight what you believe is right. God is in (sic) your side” read one placard.
After the one-hour prayer rally, Corona and his wife returned to the Supreme Court main building.
The Corona couple left for the Senate at around 1:15 p.m. in a black Suburban Chevrolet and were followed by seven buses of Supreme Court employees. Court employees, who were members of a bikers association, went ahead of the convoy on board their motorcycles.