PHNO-HL: PROSECUTION: CJ's 'PALUSOT' BACKS PLEA FOR CONVICTION

PROSECUTION: CJ's 'PALUSOT' BACKS
PLEA FOR CONVICTION

MANILA, MAY
29, 2012 (STANDARD) by Maricel
Cruz - THE lead prosecutor in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato
Corona on Monday asked the senator-judges to look into Chief Justice Renato
Corona's character and moral fitness to lead the Supreme Court, saying he had
lost the moral ascendancy to lead the highest court of the land.
Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. said Corona's "dishonesty and untruthful"
declarations in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth constituted
a clear culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust—both
impeachable offenses in the 1987 Constitution.
"Is Chief Justice Renato Coronado Corona morally fit to remain as chief
justice of the Supreme Court? The damning revelations that came out of his
impeachment trial go into the very core of the man's character," Tupas said.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. asked the senator-judges to convict
Corona because he did not declare all his assets.
Deputy lead public prosecutor and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said
Corona's "alibis and drama" supported the prosecution's battle to convict him.

He said Corona should be convicted for his undeclared assets.
"It is very clear that what he has said are palusot [alibis]. He has been
caught," Fariñas said.
"He wants us to believe that when he was in school he was a visionary that
started buying dollars."
Fariñas said it was absurd that Corona did not declare his $2.4 million in
his statement of assets.
"It is very clear in the law that whatever you have, you must declare it,"
Fariñas said.
"Our nation does not deserve to have a chief justice who intentionally and
consistently hides the great bulk of his cash assets…."
Tupas said he believed that a chief justice who had "repeatedly thwarted the
people's will by lying under oath in his [statement of assets] to conceal wealth
that he could not explain" should not be trusted at all by the people.
"Can we trust a magistrate who was very much willing to receive discounts,
favors and other benefits from parties with cases pending before the Supreme
Court?
"And can we trust a man who took advantage of his position and abused his
power to commit grave injustice and oppress his relatives in the name of greed?"

Tupas told the Senate that the impeachment trial was not so much about Corona
but more about "setting aright that which is wrong."
"It is now up to our honorable members of the Senate to take the final step
to restore the greatness that we have lost," he said.
"The people are hopeful. Let us end this right. Let us decide in favor of
truth and greatness.
"To adopt the chief justice's interpretation of the law would be to encourage
dishonesty in government and would lead to the absurd situation where the law
itself protects ill-acquired wealth hidden in foreign currency accounts.
"This is how the chief justice, the highest magistrate of the land, who is
expected to possess superior legal wisdom, interprets the law to protect his own
interest." (Published in the Manila Standard Today newspaper
on /2012/May/29)



Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi

© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved





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