Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom welcomed yesterday the guilty verdict for Chief Justice Renato C. Corona and his removal from office for failure to declare publicly his assets, liabilities, and net worth.
“It’s good the proceedings are finally over. The televised five-month long proceedings gripped the nation as well as OFWs like a soap opera. Now, the Senate could attend to other issues of national interest,” said Eric P. Asi, an electrical engineer at a local company.
The senator-judges, sitting in an impeachment court with Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile as presiding officer, voted 20-3 to convict Corona and remove him from office on the 44th day of hearings at the Philippine Senate.
OFWs watched the 44th and final day of the historic trial on ABS-CBN's The Filipino Channel that covered it live.
Benny M. Quiambao, a community leader, noted that lead defense counsel, former Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas, said he and codefense lawyers were not holding any grudges against the senator-judges who voted for the guilty verdict.
“They found the proceedings fair, which means that justice has been rendered and corresponding punishment has been meted out to the chief justice,” he said.
Marcial “Jun” Nacion, Jr., chapter commander of the Order of the Knights of Rizal-Riyadh (OKOR-Riyadh) Chapter, added that Corona had finally paid for his indiscretions.
“He accepted the position of chief justice when appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, causing President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to call him a midnight appointee,” he said.
He added that under Corona's watch, the Supreme Court lifted a travel ban on Arroyo to leave the country for medical reasons. Arroyo, who is now under hospital arrest, had been charged with electoral sabotage and plunder and her travel abroad had been alleged as a ruse to avoid prosecution.
Amado Valdez, dean of the College of Law of the University of the East, said that the most senior member of the Supreme Court, Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, will likely act as officer in charge while a replacement for Corona is being sought.
He added that the Judicial Bar Council will nominate three prospective names from which Aquino will select the new chief justice.
OFWs welcome chief justice verdict
