Ousted PH Supreme Court chief justice advised: Build cases and file impeachment rap against Aquino

By Gerry Albert Corpuz, Ella Mae France and Sugar Hicap

MANILA, Philippines- “Citizen Renato Corona should prove his claims to the Filipino public that President Benigno Simeon Aquino III orchestrated his removal from public office by mobilizing all government resources, break pertinent laws and exercise grave abuse of authority and later file his own impeachment case against the President.”

The suggestion came from one of the ardent critics of Aquino—the left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), which asserted that the dethroned chief justice must concretize his allegations that President Aquino coerced government institutions like the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and private groups to pin Corona, sent him to impeachment court and convicted by the 20-3 Senate vote last Tuesday.

“If Citizen Corona believes he has something big against Aquino and his Yellow syndicate in and out of Malacanang, then by all means, he must pursue his case against them and give the Yellow gangland a dose of their own medicine,” said Pamalakaya vice chairperson Salvador France in a press statement.

The Pamalakaya leader advised the former Chief Justice to forgo his allegiance and connection with the camp of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and instead rectify his grave mistakes by joining the people in exposing and opposing the bankruptcy, corruption and brutality of Aquino government.

Meanwhile, Pamalakaya assailed proposal of some quarters identified with Aquino that Senator Franklin Drilon should replace Corona as the next Chief Justice. Drilon is a stalwart of the pro-administration Liberal Party (LP) and a staunch ally of Aquino. “Drilon as Chief Justice? Where is their sense of justice? Drilon as next Chief Justice is blasphemous and certified mockery of justice,” said Pamalakaya. Earlier the militant group said the Corona-less Supreme Court should keep the ruling on Hacienda Luisita final and executory despite the conviction and outright removal of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“It is the tall order of the day. It is bigger and bolder than the conviction and removal of Chief Justice Renato Corona. Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and the 13 other SC justices must prove to the people they will uphold the decision on Hacienda Luisita and they will not play the game of Malacanang for political convenience,” said Pamalakaya in reaction to the 20-3 Senate vote effectively removing Corona from public office.

Pamalakaya said the impeachment and conviction of Corona is a product of political collaboration among reactionary political groups was merely meant to sacrifice Corona for their own political ambition in 2013 mid-term elections, while on the other hand, Aquino will continue to exploit the conviction of the Chief Justice and still prevailing anti-Arroyo sentiment to advance his diminishing popularity resulting from his administration’s failure to resolve people’s issues like joblessness, low wages, unstoppable hikes in the prices of petroleum products, utilities and basic services.