The passing away of former Chief Justice Renato C. Corona a few days ago marked the end of an illustrious personal career. Let’s hope it will also signal the beginning of a national debate on the justness of his impeachment and consequent removal from office.
Actually, such a debate has started, right after the impeachment conviction, but it quieted down when many felt that the President, deemed the mastermind of the act, would use the vast powers of his office to punish those who dared oppose him as he had exacted vengeance on political opponents for one reason or another. It was more prudent to wait until the President stepped down from office, which will be two months from now.
To recall, the Chief Justice was convicted on the basis of Articles of Impeachment rushed through the House of Representatives, hardly read by the 188 congressmen who affixed their signatures on them and by others who went along without bothering to sign them. The conviction, in the Senate, was based on a specific charge that was not even mentioned in the original Articles and that was, in any case, correctible without penalty under the law.
Sen. Jingoy Estrada later revealed that the senators who convicted the Chief Justice were rewarded by Malacañang with financial allocations, some before and some after the conviction. The senators received P50 million each, while their leaders received anywhere between P92 million and P100 million each. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Franklin M. Drilon received the P100 million. Three senators who voted for acquittal—Sens. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Joker Arroyo and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—were, naturally, given nothing.
In the House, at least 46 incumbent and former members received a total of P230 million from the President’s Development Acceleration Program—some parts of which were later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (SC)—for a so-called milk-lending program 10 days after the Corona conviction. The Aquino government did not stop there. It filed tax evasion and other cases against the Chief Justice.
The Chief Justice himself attributed the President’s action as vengeance for the SC’s decision of April 24, 2012, requiring the distribution of the Cojuangco-controlled 6,000-hectare Hacienda Luisita to the farmer-tillers under the Comprehensive Land Reform law.
Throughout this ordeal, the Chief Justice maintained his innocence and vowed to fight all cases against him. However, he died before the cases can be brought to a conclusion.
Whatever the motivation of the impeachment proceeding, it was clear that bribery by the President had taken place. Since the President will have returned to private life by the time any charge is filed against him, he can no longer be impeached. However, he can be made to answer under other applicable laws.
The time has come for people with authentic interest in justice to get together and pursue the case against Benigno C. Aquino III and give justice not just to Renato C. Corona and his family, but to all fair-minded Filipinos.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano
1 comment
Pdap, is a legalized & decent form of corruption by aquino government. Tuwid na daan of aquino govertment is just a political gimic, a dream that is impossible to achieved. Instead of changing the corrupt system, aquino used his tuwid na daan for his interest to jail/prosecute selected individuals who brought harm/threat to their family. This is the reason why the President’s bet Roxas will not win in the election.