Katrina Legarda tells JBC Corona offense not impeachable

Former Chief Justice Renato Corona. SENATE POOL

MANILA, Philippines—Lawyer Katrina Legarda said the judiciary “got scared” after Chief Justice Renato Corona was impeached of an offense which she does not think was impeachable.

“The morale of the courts plunged and many of the judges I work with, the justices in all the training that I do for the Philippine Judicial Academy were like lost sheep,” Legarda told the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on the first day of the interview for Chief Justice candidates.

“What they brought up against Corona was not really an impeachable offense. The courts became scared that when they displease a higher authority, they will have problems in the future,” she added.

Corona was impeached after the Senate Impeachment Court found him guilty of culpable violation of the Constitution for not disclosing his dollar accounts in his statement of assets and liabilities.

If ever appointed, Legarda said her first order of the day would be to reorganize the Office of the Court Administrator.

“The problem now is that all judges are being evaluated based on the same standards,” she said.

The Office of the Court Administrator oversees the operation of the lower courts.