Sen. Pia Cayetano votes for Corona conviction

Senator-Judge Pia Cayetano

MANILA, Philippines – Senator-Judge Pia Cayetano has voted for the conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona, calling for him to step down from office.

Cayetano said that it made no sense to her how a public official would use Republic Act 6426 or the Foreign Currency Deposit Act to hide his wealth and “provided him with a shield, is that the law in point? It is not, it is RA 6713 or the Code of Ethics and Ethical Standards” which required officials to state “all assets be it cash on hand and in banks.”

She added that unlike the defense’s belief that misdeclaration was a minor and not an impeachable offense, she thought that the failure to declare a public official’s properties and bank deposits was an offense.

“Bakit pwedeng itago ang pera sa dolyar? Makatarungan ba yun [Why can money be hidden behind the dollar? Is that justice?] Co-mingling is common among families but huge amounts involved leaves much doubt in my mind.”

If allowed, Corona’s reason for not declaring his assets completely in his SALN could become a “deadly precedent” in which officials can hide behind in the future, she said.

Corona must uphold public interest as a chief justice, said Cayetano. “We must remember that public office is a public trust. Once it is gone, we must step down to preserve the integrity it holds. Dapat bumaba na sa pwesto [He should step down].”