Supreme Court junks complaint vs Corona as ‘moot’

Former Chief Justice Renato Corona PHOTO BY : JUNNY ROY / DAILY TRIBUNE / SENATE POOL

The Supreme Court has junked the administrative complaint filed against former Chief Justice Renato Corona in connection with his alleged impropriety in accepting a free trip from a litigant to watch the fight of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao in the United States in 2009 in exchange for a favorable decision.

The case filed by businessman-lawyer Fernando Campos, owner of Inter-Petal Recreational Corp., was also included in the impeachment complaint filed by the House of Representatives against Corona.

In a three-page ruling, the high tribunal said the case against Corona was considered moot since the Senate has already removed Corona as Chief Justice after he was found guilty of culpable violation of the Constitution.

“Considering the judgment … of the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, which found (Corona) guilty … with the penalty of removal from office … the complaint against (Corona) … is hereby dismissed for having become moot and academic,” said the court’s resolution dated June 13.

In a complaint filed in September 2011, Campos claimed that Philweb Corp. funded Corona’s trip to Las Vegas in 2009 to watch Pacquiao’s bout against British slugger Ricky Hatton.

Campos’ company lost in its legal battle against Philweb and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. for the control of the online betting games for cockfighting.

“Why did Justice Corona, after dismissing it on April 20, 2009, leave hurriedly for Las Vegas to watch the Pacquiao-Hatton fight on May 3, 2009?” Campos had asked.

But Corona shrugged off the accusations, pointing out that the decision favoring Philweb was issued by the five members of the court’s first division and not by himself alone.

“This is a vicious lie because I paid for my trip, using my own personal funds,” Corona said in reply to Campos’ complaint.

“Since 2002, my wife and I have always used the May summer recess of the court to visit our daughter and her family in the United States, with or without a Pacquiao fight,” Corona stressed. With Tetch Torres, INQUIRER.net

Originally posted: 3:42 pm | Tuesday, June 19th, 2012