Court workers wear red all over the country

Supporters of Chief Justice Renato Corona hold slogans during the Inter-faith mass and send-off at the Supreme Court grounds, Manila on Tuesday. Corona will testify at the impeachment trial court at the Senate on his alleged dollar accounts.INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Shouting “Acquit CJ!,” Supreme Court employees on Tuesday gave a resounding sendoff to Chief Justice Corona after holding an interfaith prayer rally.

Wearing red shirts, around 200 court employees cheered him 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. But 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,” she 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 sighted 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 that 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 your side,” read one placard.

After the hourlong 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.

Corona’s ‘privilege speech’

At the City Hall compound of Mandaluyong, Corona’s testimony was not a blockbuster compared to Pacquiao’s bouts but some employees were still glued to their television screens watching the trial while still doing their respective tasks.

There were a few comments and judgments while Corona was testifying. An employee of the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court was overheard saying it was unfair that the Chief Justice was having a long “privilege speech” which is not normally done in regular courts.

“It should not be that way. He should be grilled and questioned,” said the employee, who asked not to be named.

Vendors ignored hearing

On the streets outside the Manila City Hall, some vendors simply scratched their heads when asked about the impeachment trial, saying they had been busy looking after their stands.

Jeepney driver Ben Medina, 63, knew Corona would testify but chose to continue plying his routes instead of watching the proceedings.

“Nothing will happen. Time will only be wasted if I watch the impeachment. At least when I drive, I can feed my family,” Medina said in Filipino.

Not everyone wants a front row seat to history.

While citizens clamored for tickets to Tuesday’s impeachment trial, Palawan Representative Antonio Alvarez, who was in the Senate for a  bill, said he preferred to go home and watch the events unfold on TV. He said he could see more of what was happening during the trial on TV, which can do close-ups, rather than in the session hall where he expected to be seated somewhere in the back (He’s not a member of the prosecution team).

One TV network prohibited their reporters from  wearing clothes of colors identified with certain politicians. One of the reporters said, “I didn’t know what I would wear.”

Woman in red

News crews of TV networks and photojournalists were infuriated when a female “photographer in red” blocked their view as Corona emerged from the holding room on his way to the Senate session hall.

A furious male lensman howled in protest, “Hoy, woman in red, step aside!” Another said, “Take two! Take two!,” eliciting laughter from the crowd. The female photographer in red turned out to be lawyer Doranne Lim, the in-house photographer of the Supreme Court Public Information Office.

Cornick, pizza

Prosecutors who were not in the session hall were glued intently to the TV set while Corona spun a lengthy tale.

Like spectators at a boxing or basketball event, the prosecutors and their staff hooted or applauded when Corona said or did something they disagreed with or found funny. Eliciting strong reactions were Corona bringing up the issue of Hacienda Luisita, and him turning emotional on the stand.

At the home stretch, there was a hush when Corona signed the waiver on his bank accounts, and then dared the lawmakers to do the same. And then they were on their feet when Corona excused himself and strode out of the session hall without permission.

The impeachment trial watch would not be complete without food. Bowls of “cornick” and boxes of pizza were passed around the prosecution room.

Corona signs waiver

Applause erupted in the Senate press office when Corona signed a waiver allowing the impeachment court to scrutinize his peso and foreign currency bank accounts.

Hoots also filled the room when Corona challenged his accusers, particularly Senator Franklin Drilon, to join him in signing the waiver as a gesture of willingness to “answer to the people whatever the consequences.”

The issue of Corona’s foreign currency accounts had been a mystery to those who are covering the impeachment trial for the past five months.

Ungraceful exit stunt

Edre Olalia, secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, joined criticisms of Corona’s opening statement and abrupt departure from the Senate session hall as “a premeditated yet poorly written script.”

“With his apparent discourteous ungraceful exit stunt, this again shows without doubt that we do not deserve to have him as Chief Justice. We hope he gets well,” Olalia said.

The lawyer said Corona’s lengthy opening statement should not have been allowed. “It is highly irregular, anomalous, and even unfair to allow Chief Justice Renato Corona to have an extended, guns-blazing ‘opening statement’ that is tantamount to a unilateral, one-sided clever artifice and even scheming tactic that muddles the truth,” he said.

Shrieking at DOJ

At the Department of Justice (DOJ), employees shrieked, shouted and cheered but not because of Corona’s testimony.

While the Chief Justice was explaining his dollar accounts, DOJ employees were agog watching Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on the hard court leading her DOJ Office of the Secretary volleyball team against the team from the Bureau of Corrections. De Lima’s team won.

There was no court holiday but a few judges belonging to the Philippine Judges Association at the Manila Regional Trial Courts took leave from work just to attend Chief Justice Corona’s testimony in the Senate.

Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. of the Manila RTC Branch 26, said more than 20 Manila RTC employees, both judges and office employees alike, went to the Senate to “show support” for Corona.

Most of them took leaves of absence, but some, like Pampilo, decided to hold hearings only for half the day. Pampilo conducted hearings in the morning and went to the Senate building in the afternoon.

At the Quezon City Hall of Justice, a huge tarpaulin was hung from the entrance.

“We support the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law,” read the tarpaulin attributed to Quezon City judiciary personnel.

The situation was the same at a branch of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. Inside the staff room, some of the court employees glanced occasionally at a computer screen, showing a live stream of the impeachment trial from a news website.

Poster

Except for a small black poster bearing Corona’s photograph and the phrase, “Uphold judicial independence,” there were no other indications at the Justice Hall in Barangay (village) Bonuan Tondaligan in Dagupan City that court officials and employees were protesting the chief magistrate’s impeachment.

Judge Ulysses Butuyan, president of the Pangasinan Judges’ Association, said all of them were mourning the “imminent death” of the judiciary.

But he said there would be no protest activities in the province.

“You may not see much by way of physical activity but I can assure you that deep in our minds and hearts, [there is an outpouring of] emotions,” Butuyan said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

In Pampanga, employees in the Regional Trial Courts in the cities of Angeles and San Fernando wore red shirts on Tuesday to show support for Corona, executive judges there said.

Personnel in the Angeles RTC installed a monitor at the Justice Hall so employees could watch the appearance of Corona in the trial, Executive Judge Omar Viola said.

In Ilocos Norte, it was business as usual in the courtrooms of the RTC in Laoag City as Corona appeared before the impeachment court.

Bernadette Espejo, a court clerk, said court employees monitored the proceedings on television. Employees were earlier advised to be in red shirts but only a few were seen following the dress code.

Hearings and transactions in various courts in Bulacan, Isabela and Nueva Ecija were not disrupted on Tuesday.

In Nueva Ecija, Executive Judge Angelo Perez said he took every opportunity to catch the impeachment proceedings on television.

“Whatever is the result of this impeachment trial is something that will last for a long time. It will determine the future of our nation,” Perez said.

Streamers for Corona

Several streamers and posters supporting Corona were displayed on the walls of RTC branches in Nueva Ecija.

In Baguio City, the summer compound of the Supreme Court was empty and quiet on Tuesday, with only two guards and three cats in the premises.

It was a far cry from the court’s April sessions which ended with Corona drawing praise and gratitude from farmers when the court ruled with finality to distribute lands in Hacienda Luisita, the sugar estate in Tarlac owned by President Benigno Aquino III’s family.

Hearings and transactions went on at the Baguio Justice Hall on Tuesday.

Three posters featuring photographs of Corona and his wife, Cristina, were displayed at the Justice Hall. The posters show Corona waving, accompanied by the message: “Uphold judicial independence. Stand by Chief Justice Renato Corona.”

In Legazpi City, 90 percent or 117 of the RTC judges and employees wore red shirts to show support to Corona at the Hall of Justice Building at the Regional Center Site in Barangay Rawis that houses the municipal trial court and most RTCs in Albay.

Judge Joel Rubio, Legazpi City Court executive judge, said 13 court salas suspended court proceeding on Tuesday afternoon so the judges and employees could hold staff meetings and watch on TV the testimony of Corona.

In Catanduanes, RTC Judge Lelu Contreras still held hearings as the situation in the court remained normal.

It was also “business as usual” in courts in Batangas City and in Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro, said sources who requested anonymity.

Daily prayers

Senior women employees in one court in Lucena City offered daily prayers for Corona while in Biñan City, court employees said they had finished all hearings in the morning so they would have a chance to go to Manila and attend the trial.

In other courts, employees watched proceedings on TV as “they had work to do.” These were from courts in Lucena City; Calamba City, Sta. Cruz—both in Laguna; Cavite City and Imus, Cavite; Virac, Catanduanes; Batangas City; and Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro.

In Sta. Cruz. Laguna, Judge Princess Bustos-Ongkeko of RTC Branch 91 said all court hearings and transactions on Tuesday proceeded as scheduled.

Morning hearings

Judge Teodoro Solis of RTC Branch 25 in Biñan City, however, said he and his colleagues finished all court hearings in the morning to give court employees a chance to go to Manila and attend the trial.

Jordan Peano of RTC Branch 88 in Cavite City said he and his colleagues could not leave for the Senate trial because they had jobs to attend to “but we’re definitely watching it because it’s an issue that involves our boss.”

At the Bacolod City Hall of Justice, a Mass was held for the Chief Justice and the impeachment court at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Many of those who attended were in red T-shirts.

“We prayed for the Chief Justice and that the impeachment court stick to the rule of law and not be swayed by political color,” said Zen Capatar, Philippine Association of Court Employees-Negros Occidental chapter head.

Capatar said they were joined by court employees from the Bago and La Carlota City courts. Lunch was provided by supporters of Corona.

She said court functions were not disrupted.

Stickers placed at the Hall of Justice say “Acquit CJ Corona.”

In Roxas City, there was no court holiday, said RTC Executive Judge Edward Contreras.

In Tacloban City, court employees at the Bulwagan ng Katarungan building, which houses five regional trial courts, continued to hold their regular work and routine.

Lyvia Malate, executive vice president of the Philippine Association of Court Employees, said she and other court employees were watching the proceedings at the office of the regional clerk of court where the lone television set in the building was located.

In Cebu, some RTC court employees stopped their work to watch television or monitor over the radio the statement of Corona in the impeachment trial.

RTC Judge Manuel Patalinghug of Branch 22, who had no scheduled hearing on Tuesday afternoon, led his personnel in watching  television at the courtroom at around 2 p.m.

Employees of the Iloilo Hall of Justice also went on their usual day.

In Zamboanga City, two judges did not report to their salas Tuesday.

Judge Gregorio dela Peña of RTC 12 “is absent today,” said his staff.

At the bulletin board of the Hall of Justice, a small tarpaulin was attached, which indicated the silent support of court employees for the Chief Justice, according to Reynaldo Cabaron, state prosecutor for Western Mindanao.

“It’s business as usual here,” he said, adding that “most of the judges were present.”

Judge Peter Eisma, Western Mindanao executive judge, said he and his colleagues supported Corona but “just silently because the trial is in Manila.”

Eisma said court employees were also free to hold protests if they had wanted to “provided that they are on leave.”

Private lawyer and 1973 bar topnotcher Vicente Solis said he had expected Corona “to confront all issues against him clearly, honestly, and without being evasive.”

Southern City College president Edwin Caliolio said justice must be served at all cost and regardless of who will be at the receiving end.

Edgar Araojo, a political science professor at Western Mindanao State University, said Corona was  “damaged goods” and that his testimony at the trial served as his “swan song.”

In Cotabato City, it was also business as usual at the Hall of Justice inside the compound of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

There was no sit down strike and court employees did not wear anything that could indicate they were in sympathy to the Chief Justice. But the Inquirer saw many of them glued to the TV.

In Digos City, no protest in sympathy of Chief Justice Corona was visible but a large tarpaulin hangs by the main entrance of the Hall of Justice, which urges a “Fight for Judicial Independence.”

“Our hearts are with him but we have work to do,” lawyer Nelia Sedilla, clerk of court, said. Reports from Philip C. Tubeza, Niña Calleja, Leila Salaverria, Marlon Ramos, Cathy Yamsuan, Jerome Aning, Jaymee T. Gamil and Julie M. Aurelio; Ann Clariz Yap and Daphne Magturo, trainees, in Manila; Gabriel Cardinoza, Cristina Arzadon, Vincent Cabreza and Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon, and Tonette Orejas, Armand Galang and Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon; Mar Arguelles, Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Maricar Cinco, Fernan Gianan, Madonna Virola and Marrah Erika Lesaba, Inquirer Southern Luzon; Carla P. Gomez, Felipe Celino, Joey Gabieta, Karen Bermejo and Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas; Julie Alipala, Edwin Fernandez and Orlando Dinoy, Inquirer Mindanao