Clerk of Court Vidal lied about the SALN at first

The Defense is moving for the inhibition of Senator Franklin Drilon as judge in the ongoing impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. They cited Drilon’s bias against Corona when Drilon forced Clerk of Court Enriqueta Vidal to surrender the SALN of the Chief Justice.

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People who saw the action on television would know that Drilon was merely asking the witness if she will follow the subpoena of the impeachment court. That the witness, Clerk of Court Vidal admitted that she will obey the court process and surrender the SALN was her own volition, realizing the gravity of the responsibility on her shoulders. Vidal, after all, did not forget that she is a lawyer and she knows the consequence of not following court orders.

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Senator Drilon was only exercising his rights as Senator Judge.  Brilliant lawyers from the defense like Cuevas and company know this that a Judge can asked clarificatory questions against a witness.  Cuevas and company are just smarting from their defeat. Now they wanted Drilon to inhibit.  Ano sila? Sineswerte?

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To accuse Drilon of aiding the Prosecution is unfair and baseless.  The Defense claim that Drilon was asking a question which the Prosecution failed to ask on the witness. Wrong! The transcripts would show that private prosecutor Mario Bautista asked Vidal if she brought with her the SALN of the Chief Justice. She said no.

She lied.

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This information is published in a PDI article “Prosecution member in Corona trial accuses defense of ‘delaying tactics’” where Prosecutor Neri Colmenares revealed that indeed Vidal was asked with that question.

A study of the transcripts will show that the clerk (of court) previously answered no to Attorney (Mario) Bautista’s question if she brought the SALN with her. In fact she (Vidal) can be charged with perjury for lying at the impeachment proceedings,” Colmenares said.

Corona used his family as ‘dummies’ to hide ill-gotten wealth–Prosecution

Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net

2:15 pm | Monday, January 23rd, 2012

MANILA, Philippines — Three properties amounting to P45 million were allegedly put by Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona in the name of his daughter supposedly to hide his ill-gotten wealth, the chief of the prosecution team in the impeachment trial disclosed on Monday.

This and other revelations of how Corona allegedly acquired his wealth would be the prosecution’s next ammunition against the Chief Justice, lead prosecutor and Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. said.

“In the succeeding hearings, we will know, we will show that he (Corona) has no capacity to purchase these properties except through graft and corruption,” Tupas said in an interview over the phone, referring to the reported properties allegedly owned by Corona.

“Ayoko nang sabihin yung details (I don’t want to disclose the details) but this I can disclose to you – that they acquired those properties through graft and corruption, that they are ill-gotten wealth,” Tupas said.

Defense doesn’t want BIR chief to testify

 Christina Mendez, The Philippine Star

Posted at 01/23/2012 10:05 AM | Updated as of 01/23/2012 12:43 PM

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of Chief Justice Renato Corona will protest the move of the prosecution to include the income tax returns of the chief magistrate and his family as evidence in the impeachment trial, a defense lawyer said yesterday.

Tranquil Salvador III said the defense panel will also question the presentation of Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares as witness in the impeachment court. “They cannot do that. It is irrelevant to the case,” Salvador said. He said they would challenge the prosecution if and when they present Henares to the impeachment court. Salvador argued that the release of the income tax return of any individual needs the approval of President Aquino who has been advocating the removal of Corona from office. Aquino also heads the ruling Liberal Party, whose camp has been vocal about the impeachment of Corona. Salvador admitted that they were saddened by the prosecution’s move to link the issue of Corona’s alleged illegally acquired wealth to the non-disclosure of the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as discussed in Article 2 of the eight articles of impeachment.

“That’s still a dispute. We are bit saddened by this… this (process) should have been completed before the House committee of justice and determined on the outset,” he said. Echoing the statement of a fellow counsel that the prosecution is on a fishing expedition, Salvador lamented the “investigation has become contemporaneous with the trial.”

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Rear Guard of Arroyo

Renato Corona insisted that this impeachment trial against him  is not a personal battle but a battle to preserve the independence of the Judiciary.  It is baffling why Corona is dragging the entire judiciary when in fact it is he and he alone who is tried for impeachment?

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If a lower court Judge is expected to be fair and independent, then how much more if one is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? But the question is, how can Corona be independent when according to Senator Frank Drilon, Corona’s scoreboard is 19-0 in all cases which involve Corona’s former mentor Gloria Arroyo?

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That voting record could well become the basis why Corona can be considered a rear guard of Arroyo, as cases are piling up against her.  A Chief Justice should be a fair person, ruling a particular case based on law and not blind partisanship and loyalty.

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Besides, Corona’s close relationship with Arroyo alone could cast doubts as to his impartiality in deciding cases involving her. Corona was given more than a year to show to the people that he is capable of deciding cases even adverse to Gloria Arroyo. But no, Corona scored 19-0 for Arroyo thereby further raising the suspicion that he is favoring Arroyo who was his former mentor.

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Those who said that impeachment is an attack against the Judiciary must review their law. Impeachment is a process of removal of a public official as part of the checks and balance system of our republican government.  If everytime someone is impeached and called it an attack against their institution, then that would render nugatory the Constitutional provision on impeachment.  Meaning to say that everytime a Justice of the Supreme COurt is impeached, automatically it is an attack against the Judiciary? So that would  mean the Judiciary is above the Constitution, it is untouchable and it cannot be held accountable because to do so would be construed as against its independence.

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If the budget of the Judiciary is scrutinized, the argument is that it is again an attack on the fiscal autonomy of the judiciary. If one of its Justices is impeached, it is an attack against its independence? So how would the Supreme Court be made accountable to the people if that would be the case?  That would eventually make the Supreme Court the most powerful branch of our government. What is ironic is that its members are not elected by the people and yet it acts like it is king in the government.

Philippine economy improved tremendously under Noynoy Aquino

World Economic Freedom: Phl improves to 107th

By Jose Katigbak, The STAR Washington Bureau (The Philippine Star) Updated January 14, 2012 12:00

WASHINGTON – Despite a challenging global economic environment, the Philippines has risen in the world economic rankings to 107 from 115 previously, said a report by the Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank in Washington, and The Wall Street Journal.

The 2012 Index of World Economic Freedom released on Thursday said among 179 countries rated, the Philippines had the 107th freest economy with a score of 57.1.

The report said the country’s score was 0.9 point higher than last year, attributable in large part to a significant improvement in business freedom.

The index rates countries in 10 categories – labor freedom, business freedom, trade freedom, fiscal freedom, government spending, monetary freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom, property rights and freedom from corruption – and the results are averaged to create an overall score.

Hong Kong with 89.9 points and Singapore (87.5) ranked first and second in the overall standings for the 18th straight year, followed in order by Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Canada, Chile, Mauritius, Ireland and the United States.

North Korea at the bottom of the standings had an overall score of one.

The Philippines improved its scores in four of the 10 specific categories (scores the previous year are in brackets): business freedom 54.3 (43.4), labor freedom 51.7 (50.7), monetary freedom 77.1 (76.3) and fiscal freedom 79.1 (78.8).

Its scores dropped in government spending 89.7 (91) and trade freedom 75.5 (77.8) and there were no changes in scores for freedom from corruption, 24; investment freedom, 40; financial freedom, 50; and property rights, 30.

The Philippines ranked 19th out of 41 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Its overall score of 57.1 was slightly below the world average of 59.5 and the regional average of 57.5.

The report said the Philippine economy has been on a steady path of economic expansion, with the government pursuing a series of legislative reforms to enhance the entrepreneurial environment and developing a stronger private sector to generate broader-based job growth.

Overall progress has been gradual, but regulatory efficiency has been notably enhanced, the report said.

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45 Corona assets eyed

‘If you can find them, you can have them’

By Christian V. Esguerra, Cynthia D. Balana, Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lawmakers seeking to oust Chief Justice Renato Corona want his entire household to appear at the opening of his impeachment trial on Monday and explain their alleged illegal acquisition of 45 properties.

Prosecutors from the House of Representatives on Thursday asked the Senate to issue subpoenas for Corona, his wife Cristina, their children Carla, Francis and Charina, and son-in-law Constantino Castillo III.

“If they can find it, it’s theirs,” Corona said after a Mass at the Supreme Court. “I’ll execute a deed of donation. If they can show my properties, I’ll just give it to them. The problem with some people—I won’t say who—they think that I am a thief like them.”

Representative Niel Tupas Jr. and his fellow prosecutors filed the request for summons a day after Corona’s camp asked senators to require Tupas and four other congressmen, including Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, to appear during the trial.

Corona’s legal defense team wants to question Tupas and company on the hasty approval of the impeachment complaint against the Chief Justice, even if a number of House members had admitted they had not read the voluminous document but signed it anyway during a five-hour caucus last month.

The Chief Justice is facing charges of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust and graft and corruption outlined in eight articles of impeachment.

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2 Corona defense lawyers back out

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 01/09/2012 8:36 PM | Updated as of 01/09/2012 11:50 PM

MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE)  - Two lawyers of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona in his impeachment trial have withdrawn  from his team.

ABS-CBN News sources identified them as Atty. Ernesto Francisco Jr. and former Court of Appeals Justice Hector Hofileña.

Of the 2, only Francisco signed in the pleading submitted by Corona to the impeachment court.

Meanwhile, former Ateneo law school dean Eduardo delos Angeles denied he has quit as lawyer for the chief justice.

He declined to speculate why he was bruited about as having resigned.

However, Delos Angeles confirmed that Francisco and Hofileña have backed out from the defense team.

As of posting, Francisco has declined to be interviewed. He is set to issue a statement tomorrow.

Meantime, the Supreme Court will announce on Tuesday Corona’s spokespersons for the impeachment trial.

“It will be a team of 3 — 2 men and 1 female,” SC spokesman Midas Marquez said.

He added that he is not sure if the 3 will attend the Supreme Court press conference Tuesday afternoon.

Marquez earlier said Corona has to have spokespersons because the media and the public have many questions about the trial and related issues. - with reports from Lynda Jumilla and Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News; ANC

Lakas-Kampi is no more—Lagman

By Gil Cabacungan
Philippine Daily Inquirer

House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman on Sunday said the Lakas-Kampi coalition has “ceased to exist” and that only the Lakas-CMD (Christian Muslim Democrats) party remained to represent the minority in the lower house of Congress.

Lagman announced the “death” of the Lakas-Kampi partnership a week before his anticipated showdown with Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez over the minority leadership when Congress resumes sessions this week.

“There is no more Lakas-Kampi, there is only Lakas-CMD with a few remnants of Kampi most of whom formed their own party, the NUP (National Unity Party),” said Lagman in a phone interview.

Lagman stressed that he was the chairman of Lakas-CMD and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was only its chair emeritus. He would not say, however, if his defiance of Arroyo whom he accused of plotting his ouster from her hospital suite—showed her diminishing influence in the minority bloc.

“I am not ready to say that,” said Lagman.

Lakas-CMD, which was formed in 1991 by former President Fidel V. Ramos and former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., and Kampi, which was formed as  the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino in 1998 by Arroyo, merged in May 2009 to form what was then the union of the two biggest political parties in the Philippines.

Despite the coalition’s vaunted size, the Liberal Party (LP) rode on the surging popularity of Sen. Benigno S. Aquino III to win the presidency and control the lower house. A number of Lakas-Kampi members jumped ship and joined the LP a few weeks before the May 2010 elections.

Read full article http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/124663/lakas-kampi-is-no-more%E2%80%94lagman

SWS: Corona rating plunges

Philippine Daily Inquirer

5:56 am | Saturday, January 7th, 2012

MANILA, Philippines—Amid allegations that he had been partial to the interests of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona posted a “poor” net satisfaction rating that plunged 14 points from the previous quarter, according to a recent survey of the Social Weather Stations.

Results of the Fourth Quarter 2011 Social Weather Survey, first published in the BusinessWorld, showed that from a zero net satisfaction in September, Corona’s rating dropped to minus 14, with 21 percent of respondents saying they were satisfied with his performance and 35 percent saying otherwise.

Since his controversial appointment as Chief Justice in May 2010, Corona’s net satisfaction rating has not breached positive territory in earlier SWS surveys. Corona got his lowest rating of minus 18 in June 2010, while his highest net rating so far is zero, which he got in June and September last year.

The latest survey, which made use of face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide, was conducted from Dec. 3 to 7, when President Aquino was assailing several decisions by the court, including one that allowed Arroyo to travel abroad which the Department of Justice at any rate defied.

Arroyo, now a Pampanga representative, is currently detained at Veterans Memorial Medical Center on charges of electoral sabotage.

Corona was impeached by 188 House members on Dec. 12, and stands accused of betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption and culpable violation of the Constitution. His trial is to begin on Jan. 16. Lawrence de Guzman, Inquirer Research

Pnoy’s courage and bravery

He made the unthinkable. President Noynoy Aquino lambasted the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Renato Corona during the Criminal Justice Summit. The in-your-face- bashing earned Pnoy accolades and praises from the Filipino people. Majority of the people supported Pnoy’s move.

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In fact in the ABS CBN TV Patrol text poll, 80% approved Pnoy’s act with only 20% disagreeing.  That shows the majority of the people support the Presidents move. They even praised the Pnoy for his bravery and courage. No other President in history has the guts to say whats on his mind. Thats the highest demonstration of political will by a principled leader.

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As usual, the critics cried foul. They shouted to the high heavens, “Disrespect!, disturbing, unpresidential”… Pnoy should not have did that on that occasion since there are other venues where he can vent his ire against the Supreme Court. But what is the proper venue. The object of your ire is there. It would be the height of hypocrisy if you only exchange pleasantries, if you just rhapsodized how the food taste good, but deep inside you despised that person much. Pnoy was just being true to himself. He just articulated what the ordinary Filipino should have said a long time ago against the SC.  This is validated when majority of the people ratified Pnoy’s move as different poll and other online forum have shown.

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The Supreme Court wants respect. But how can it earn respect when its decision is tilted in favour of Gloria Arroyo and not on the Filipino people? How can it respect when it interpreted the Constitution in full reverse when it said that the appointment of Renato Corona is not a midnight appointment? How can it earned respect when it allowed the creation of another legislative district even if it does met the requirement of the Constitution to accommodate the son of former President Gloria Arroyo? How can it earned respect when it issued a TRO which would have virtually allowed Gloria Arroyo to escape prosecution?

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Which is better, honesty or kaplastikan? Pnoy is just being true to himself. He is frank yes, but that frankness finds sympathy in every Filipino who can no longer stomach the pro Arroyo bias of the Supreme Court.  Naturally, the critics would complain. They would complain always, even if Pnoy is doing the right thing.

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At least Pnoy knows whom he is serving, to whom he owes his office. When you are a public official you have sworn to serve the people, the sovereign in whom your power emanates. The problem with some government officials is that they owe their allegiance not to the people, but to the patron who appointed them. Its a good thing for in some occasions, they should be reminded of their mandate, which is to serve the people, first and foremost.

For Pnoy’s feat, he should be applauded and praised. Never before in history that a public official can unabashedly tell you that you got it all wrong all along. Pnoy speaks from his heart, from his firm conviction and that earned him the admiration of the Filipino people. No doubt Pnoy got the people’s thumbs up on this one.