Court employees in Bacolod City gathered to air their support for Chief Justice Renato Corona whose impeachment trial began yesterday, while militant protestors staged a picket calling for his ouster.

The Peace Advocates of Negros also issued a statement saying Corona must go.

About 200 court employees in black and purple T-shirts joined a mass yesterday morning in support of Corona at the Bacolod Hall of Justice.

The purple T-shirts bore the message "Uphold Judicial Independence", while the black T-shirts had pictures of Corona on them. There were also glossy posters with the photo of Corona and his wife on it with the message we "Stand by Chief Justice Renato Corona."

A court employee said their T-shirts and posters were donated by Corona supporters.

Judge Jose Paolo Ariola said those who attended the mass at the Hall of Justice yesterday morning did not do so because Corona is their idol but because ”We believe in the independence of the three co-equal branches of government and the rule of law.”

“Our democratic republic has laws, we should not act beyond what is allowed in the Constitution,” he said.

“They are rocking the entire constitutional institution of the Republic of Philippines,” he said, of those moving for Corona’s impeachment.

“By the numbers you saw awhile ago we have delivered the message that we remain students of the law,” Ariola said of those who attended the mass.

Zen Capatar, president of the Philippine Association of Court Employees in Negros Occidental, said they held the mass to pray for the chief justice whom they support and sympathize with as his impeachment trial starts.

“We prayed that the rule of law will prevail…we know he can defend himself,” she said.

She said they were in purple T-shirts, the color of which represents the judiciary, and black for sorrow over what is happening.

The move of the court employees is part of a nationwide action, Capatar said.

BAYAN

Meanwhile, a group of about 20 Bayan members staged a picket outside the Hall of Justice in Bacolod carrying placards saying "Impeach Corona, Jail GMA Now”, "Corona Out of the Supreme Court" and “We Want an Independent Supreme Court."

“It not the question of democracy under threat since the majority of the Filipino people have so long a time suffered from a corrupted judicial system aside from the continuing political and economic oppression and exploitation,” Christian Tuayon, Bayan Negros secretary general, said.

Corona was an obedient pawn of the Gloria Arroyo regime, he charged.

“His midnight appointment to the top post, his cunning and blatant maneuvers in support of GMA in many cases, and his refusal to resign show his biases in favor of his endorser. The long list of human rights violations and anomalous deals GMA has committed deserves GMA in jail, but with Corona as chief justice, GMA will remain scot-free,” Tuayon said.

Bayan Negros sees the impeachment of Corona as one step forward in the fight for justice and to make Arroyo accountable for the crimes she committed against the people, he added.

PEACE ADVOCATES

“We are one in the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona. Impeachment is a constitutional process exercised by the people through their representatives. It is directed, not on the institution, but against a member of the Court,” a statement from the Peace Advocates of Negros said yesterday.

“We have to restore what has been lost: the Rule of law, the Independence of the Judiciary, and the credibility of the Supreme Court,” it said, stressing that “Corona must go”.

Speaking during the 1st National Criminal Justice Summit held at the Manila Hotel, President Aquino assailed the midnight appointment of Corona to the Supreme Court, PAN noted.

Aquino stated that if there is a public servant who owes it, not to the people but to a patron who squeezed him into position, he cannot be expected to be sensitive to the interest of Filipinos, PAN added.

PAN charges that Corona and his cabal of justices are showing despotism. “They have shown the tyranny of their number in questionable decisions clearly rendered contrary to law and the Constitution, relying on the fact that their decisions, right or wrong are final and cannot anymore be questioned.” PAN said.

“The cabal has sacrificed the blindfolded Lady holding the scales of justice for the Lady with the neck braces,” it added.

The PAN statement was signed Alex Ozoa, Frankie Cruz, Andy Hagad, Dondi Poblador, Lina Hilado, Francis Yulo, Felix Querubin, Anne Ledesma, Ranela de la Fuente, Menchi Tan, Rafael Berba, Lulu Tison, Marius Hechanova, Agnes Hechanova, Emilio Hilado III, Duds Locsin, Sherman Kilayko and Jose Pio Yulo.*CPG

back to top