Chief Justice Renato Corona asked for the forgiveness of his wife Cristina and their children and grandchildren “because in my bid to defend the independence of the judiciary, I put them in a Calvary they should have not experienced.”
MANILA, Philippines – Chief Justice Renato Corona accepted yesterday the verdict of the impeachment court convicting him of culpable violation of the Constitution.
Corona and his family watched the verdict in his room on the 15th floor of The Medical City hospital in Pasig, where he has been confined for about a week.
In a statement released hours after the voting at the Senate, Corona said he had surrendered his fate from the start when he submitted himself to the impeachment process.
“Kung ito po ang ikabubuti ng ating bayan, tinatanggap ko na po ang kalbaryong aming pinagdaanan (If this will be for the better of our country, I am accepting this Calvary we’re going through),” he said.
“Dahil sa simula’t sapul naman ay handa na akong mag-alay ng sariling buhay para sa bayan (Because even from the start I was ready to sacrifice my life for the nation).
“Kung kaya, ipinapaubaya ko na po sa ating Poong Maykapal at sa taong bayan na higit na makapangyarihan sa ating demokrasya ang aking kinabukasan at ang kinabukasan ng ating Hudikatura (That’s why I am surrendering myself to the Lord and our people who are more powerful in our democracy, my fate and the future of our judiciary).”
Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez said Corona was calm while watching the senator-judges explain their votes.
Corona asked his critics and accusers to end the “politics of personal attacks” and “vanquish the poison caused by too much divisiveness and unstoppable hatred and anger.”
“Panahon na upang isulong ang ating buhay bilang isang bansa (It’s time for us to move forward as one nation),” he said.
Yet Corona insisted on his innocence.
“But bad politics prevailed,” he said. “I am innocent. There’s no truth to the allegations against me in the Articles of Impeachment. My conscience is clear.”
Corona said the impeachment had drawn a bad picture of him contrary to the truth.
“Hindi kaila sa akin na gagamitin ng Pangulo ang buong puwersa ng gobyerno, kasama na ang mga ahensiyang dapat sana ay malayang nagpapasiya – ang Kamara, ang BIR, ang LRA, ang AMLC, ang Ombudsman, at iba pa. (We all know how the
President used the entire force of government, including agencies that should be independent – the House, the BIR (Bureau of Internal
Revenue), the LRA (Land Registration Authority), the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council), and the Ombudsman and others,)” he said.
“Hindi rin kaila sa akin na gagamit ng kabang-yaman para sa mapanira at mapang-aping media campaign, sa radyo, telebisyon a tdyaryo, laban sa akin at sa aking pamilya. (We are also aware how resources of government were used in destructive media campaign in radio, television and newspapers against me and my family).”
Corona said he was saddened by the verdict, especially since he hoped he would be cleared after facing the charges head on.
He thanked the three senators who voted to acquit him – Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – and who believed in his cause to fight for rights and the independence of the judiciary.
Stable condition
Corona is in stable condition, said Anne de la Cruz, manager of corporate communications of Medical City.
De la Cruz could not say how Corona initially reacted as the Senate issued a 20-3 guilty verdict on him.
Reporters and photographers who tried to get the statement of Corona after the Senate proceedings were barred by security guards from coming near his private room.
At about 7:15 p.m., De la Cruz, accompanied by dozens of security guards, distributed a three-page statement of Corona, where he stated that he was saddened by the senator-judges’ decision.
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio will become acting Chief Justice.
Under SC rules, the next most senior justice takes over when the Chief Justice is on leave or removed from the post.
Carpio will act as Chief Justice in a temporary capacity until President Aquino has named a new Chief Justice.
The Judicial and Bar Council may submit a list of nominees for the position of Chief Justice and another list for the position of associate justice.
Under the Constitution, a vacancy in the judiciary has to be filled within 90 days from its occurrence.
If Carpio is named Chief Justice, an associate justice has to be appointed to complete the lineup in the 15-member Supreme Court that sits as a full court and in three divisions of five justices each. — With Non Alquitran, Alexis Romero
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