BY AMADO P. MACASAET
MALAYA
‘In this sense, it is Gloria Arroyo who is under trial. If Chief Justice Corona is not convicted, Mrs. Arroyo’s majority of eight jurists will save her from the gallows.’
FIRST, the Chief Justice declared upon impeachment that he did no wrong and was prepared to face trial.
Second, he declared that anybody who can find the 45 or so pieces of properties in five cities of Metro Manila in his name and that of his wife will get them. Upon his written permission, of course.
Third, the prosecution was furnished machine copies of his “initial deposit” of $700,000 in a savings bank in Quezon City. Now he objects to the production of the records for examination by the senators sitting as judges in the impeachment trial.
Now comes Chief Justice Renato Corona filing a petition with the Supreme Court seeking to stop the impeachment trial.
The petition, denied or granted, does not prove his claim of having done no wrong. He does not want to defend himself as he said he was ready to, in fact in full battle gear to face his accusers, namely President Aquino, who he said wants the Supreme Court destroyed so he can have one under his control.
In the same fashion probably that Gloria Arroyo made sure that she keeps control of the Court even after she retires. She still has the tenuous majority of eight magistrates known to be loyal to her to the end, that is, until they retire or are impeached.
Not to be forgotten by everyone is how the Arroyo court “violated” the Constitution by allowing then President Gloria Arroyo to appoint Renato Corona to head the court to ensure her protection from what, as early as then, she knew would be charges of plunder that she would definitely face under the Aquino administration.
In this sense, it is Gloria Arroyo who is under trial. If Chief Justice Corona is not convicted, Mrs. Arroyo’s majority of eight jurists will save her from the gallows.
I am reasonably certain that the Senate will defy the TRO in case one is issued. That means the impeachment trial will continue. That means a constitutional crisis could ensue.
The impeachment trial is muddled by issues that can only result in delays. For example, Congressman Danilo Suarez wants a probe on the leak of the records of the “initial deposit” of $700,000 in a savings bank in the name of the Chief Justice.
Suppose I say somebody from the bank gave me machine copies of the deposit records, will I be held liable for some crime? Maybe my friend Danny Suarez will tell the world if not the impeachment court that there is the law creating the Foreign Currency Deposit Unit which prevents the disclosure, examination of dollar deposits by any and all agencies of government without the written permission of the depositor.
In the case of the deposit of the Chief Justice, I dare say that he used the inviolability of the record of deposits as a convenient shield to keep unexplained wealth from being examined.
In fact, he violated Supreme Court jurisprudence by making the deposit.
Now comes another friend, Congressman Ferdinand Martin Romualdez demanding that the sanctity of the Constitution be respected in the impeachment trial. Some demand!
Who, to begin with, caused the impeachment of the Chief Justice? Wasn’t it indirectly Gloria Arroyo by pressuring the court to allow her to appoint Renato Corona as Chief Justice during a period prohibited by the Constitution?
Wasn’t it Renato Corona who brought his fate upon himself by accepting an appointment made legal by his peers by misinterpreting the Constitution?
Now comes Midas Marquez, administrator and spokesman of the Supreme Court, appealing once again to the people to respect the Supreme Court and its decisions.
How long are we going to respect the “violations” by the Supreme Court of the fundamental law? How long are we going to allow the magistrates to shield themselves from wrongdoing by invoking the doctrine that the Supreme Court is right even when it is wrong after it has spoken with finality?
Until the present court allows Gloria Arroyo to walk from the charges of plunder, courtesy of Chief Justice Corona and his peers chosen for loyalty to Gloria Arroyo, not exactly to the Constitution and the laws?
Stated simply, this country is on the road to a government of men and not of laws if the impeachment trial is stopped by the Supreme Court at the behest of the Chief Justice. We must all remember that Mr. Corona’s rating is below zero – minus 15 percent to be exact.
This perception, in fact, judgment, was made by the people. Under the doctrine of “vox populi vox Dei” shall we allow the Chief Justice to walk so that Gloria Arroyo herself may walk from charges of high crimes?
Think about it. There are enough laws that sit with this situation.
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