MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / May 29, 2012) – The Philippine Senate on Tuesday voted 20-3 to convict Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona in an impeachment trial followed by millions of Filipinos since it began six weeks ago.
The disgraced Corona, 63, a political ally of former President Gloria Arroyo, was found guilty for failing to declare some of his wealth.
Corona, appointed by Arroyo before she stepped down, was the 23rd Chief Justice and one of the youngest magistrates ever to be appointed to the Supreme Court.
He was accused of protecting Arroyo, who is also facing charges of corruption and poll fraud, after stepping down in 2010 and handing over the presidency to Senator Benigno Aquino who won in a landslide victory.
The Aquino administration hailed the conviction of Corona.
“Our democratic institutions have been strengthened and have been proven to work. Mr. Corona is merely the public face of the things that ail our justice system. Let us never forget that those who come to court, be they rich or poor, must do so in the expectation of receiving impartial justice from those who uphold both the spirit and the letter of the law,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
“The verdict of the Senate is a step forward in terms of restoring public confidence in our courts, and trust in the members of the judiciary,” she added.
Of the 23 senators, those who voted to acquit Corona were Miriam Santiago, Joker Arroyo and Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. (Mindanao Examiner)
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