High drama highlights Corona’s day in court

OVERCOME BY EMOTIONS Chief Justice Renato Corona tries to hold back tears while making his statement on the witness stand in the first of a series of dramatic events that defined his first day in court on Tuesday. SENATE POOL

Saying he is not a thief, Chief Justice Renato Corona on Tuesday accused the “haciendero” President Aquino of mobilizing the entire government machinery to smear him to avenge the loss of the Aquino family’s Hacienda Luisita as a result of an adverse Supreme Court ruling in November 2011.

Reading from a prepared statement in Filipino and at times breaking down in his three-hour-long testimony on the 40th day of his impeachment trial, Corona also advanced a second reason why he was being impeached: The President seeks to control the three branches of government. And the third reason: The creeping takeover of the administration allegedly by leftist elements.

Corona repeatedly proclaimed his innocence of accusations, mostly aired by prosecution spokespersons outside the Senate tribunal, that he had amassed ill-gotten wealth.

“I’m no thief. I’m no criminal. I’ve done no wrong. But I am also no fool,” he said after announcing he was issuing a waiver on his bank accounts in pesos and dollars, and challenged the 188 House representatives who signed the articles of impeachment and Senator Franklin Drilon, his most virulent critic among the senator-judges to do the same.

He said he had never raided government coffers and accused the prosecutors of twisting the law and inventing evidence in their efforts to oust him for alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust and graft and corruption.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the prosecution, if the cases you filed against me are indeed strong, why did you need to invent evidence?  You will be accountable for what you did,” Corona said, reading from a prepared statement in Filipino and at times speaking extemporaneously.

“Why did you resort to black propaganda?  You invented, lied and dug up dirt endlessly (maghukay nang walang hanggan),” he said.

As Corona said this, the chief House prosecutor, Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr., along with prosecutors Giorgidi Aggabao and Elpidio Barzaga Jr. turned away and slunk down in their seats.

“I am hurt by your efforts to trample on my rights but I’m telling you, I’m fighting back because your accusations are baseless and illegal (hindi ayon sa batas),” the Chief Justice said.

Corona went on to claim that Mr. Aquino, whom he described as a landlord (“hacienderong Pangulo”) harbors an intense anger against him for the Supreme Court’s decision last Nov. 22 to distribute Hacienda Luisita to tenant farmers following a six-year litigation.

The family of the President’s late mother, former President Corazon Aquino, owns Hacienda Luisita.

President upset

“What is President Aquino’s right to be upset over the distribution of Hacienda Luisita to the farmers? The land was only lent (pinahiram lamang) to (the Cojuangcos).  The land was forcibly taken (inagaw) from the elders of these farmers,” Corona charged.

The Chief Justice claimed that the President’s family benefited from (“pinakinabangan”) and took advantage (“pinagkakitaan”) of Hacienda Luisita for nearly 60 years.

“And now, they don’t want to give it back to its rightful owners,” he asked.

Private prosecutor Mario Bautista accused Corona of taking advantage of his opening statement to deliver pronouncements “without the benefit of direct examination” by his lawyers. “All issues he had mentioned here are irrelevant,” he said.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile reminded Bautista that Corona’s opening statement would be considered part of his testimony and that the private counsel would be allowed to cross-examine the Chief Justice at the proper time.

Corona went on, accusing Mr. Aquino of a compulsion to control the three branches of government—executive, legislative and judiciary.

“(The President) intends to use all resources and powers just to achieve this goal,” he charged.

Leftist adviser

The Chief Justice then zeroed in on one of the President’s advisers, Ronald Llamas, whom he said was behind the slow takeover by left-leaning elements (“unti-unting pagmaniobra at pagsakop ng kaliwa”) of the Aquino administration.

“It seems Ronald Llamas and his cohorts (“kakosa”) hold President Aquino by the neck,” Corona noted.

The Chief Justice repeatedly insisted on his innocence several times during the first 30 minutes of his opening statement.

Enrile issued several gentle reminders for Corona to wrap up the prepared statement he brought to the witness stand.

The Chief Justice assured the Senate President several times that he would be through in a while, explaining at one point that he was “talking to the people. I have been discredited (sinisiraan) 24/7 for the past five months. The country needs to know who I am.”

Simple lifestyle

Corona discussed the simple lifestyle that he, wife Cristina and their children practiced for the past 42 years.  He said this frugality allowed them to save money that they used to invest in foreign currency, in US dollars.

Corona said his family refrained from luxuries, not even the use of air-conditioning, claiming his loved ones are sensitive to cold and easily get sick.

“We have lived in the same house that I inherited from my parents. We have never paid rent or amortization for a housing loan.  We eat simple food.  Believe it or not, we do not have maids.  I’m telling the truth.  We only pay people who iron our clothes and those who come to clean the house,” he explained.

Corona pointed out that the family had only two basic expenses—food and tuition for the children.

“We have no fabulous house in an exclusive subdivision, nor luxury cars or paintings.  This is no exaggeration. There is not one month where I did not set something aside for savings,” he added.

“So it is not surprising that we have saved so much, having done so for 45 years.  So why is it that some are asking why we have cash.  And assume that I stole it,” Corona asked.

Suddenly, the Chief Justice stopped, his face in a tight grimace.

This prompted his lead defense counsel, Serafin Cuevas, to note that Corona was “on the verge of tears” and asked for a break so his client would regain his composure.