Legal groups, judges, employees back Corona, hit impeach rap

MANILA, Philippines - Several prominent legal groups, judges and court employees’ associations have expressed support for Chief Justice Renato Corona, while they condemned the railroading of the impeachment complaint against him.

Separate statements were issued by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the Philippine Constitution Association (PHILCONSA), the Supreme Court Assembly of Lawyers-Employees, Inc. (SCALE), the Philippine Association of Court Employees (PACE), the Judiciary Employees Association (JUDEA), and the Las Piñas City Judges Association (LPCJA).

The IBP, through national president Roan Libarios, cautioned that by impeaching Corona based on Supreme Court (SC) decisions, “the House is in effect arrogating unto itself the power to interpret the law over and above the Supreme Court. Such an impeachment has transformed the House of Representatives as the higher interpreter of what law is, a clear encroachment on the prerogatives exclusively vested by the Constitution in the Supreme Court itself.”

The IBP said that if the SC’s exercise of judicial review to pass upon the acts of other departments of government and to interpret the applicable laws could warrant congressional impeachment, despite the absence of any allegations of financial or illegal consideration, then the constitutional doctrines of separation of powers and judicial supremacy on matters of interpretation of the law would completely crumble and fall apart.

The IBP said in a statement that it considers the House’s “breakneck and high-handed impeachment as a menace and an open subversion of the SC’s constitutional prerogatives as the final interpreter of the law and the arbiter of rights.”

The PHILCONSA said they deplored the turn of events in the filing of the impeachment complaint.

PHILCONSA vice chairman Froilan Bacungan said “the manner in which the House of Representatives exercised its power of impeachment is a classic example of premeditated violation of due process of law and a denial of equal protection.”

PHILCONSA chairman Manuel Lazaro said the impeachment complaint was not properly verified, hence, fatally flawed and should be treated as an unsigned pleading which produces no legal effect.

“Consequently, it’s as if the impeachment complaint was not verified and therefore the Senate is not duty-bound under the Constitution to proceed with the trial,” he said.

The SCALE, in a statement, said it has affirmed its trust and confidence in the integrity and independence of the Judiciary and in the latter’s loyalty to its sworn duty of upholding the Constitution and Rule of Law as it expressed full support in the leadership of Corona.

“We firmly believe that despite the trying times and challenges, the Judiciary will remain steadfast in performing its sacred task of administering justice and will continue to be the stronghold of democracy and the guardian of human rights.”

PACE, on the other hand, echoed the sentiments of SCALE.

“The lower court employees honestly believe in the integrity of the Honorable Chief Justice, so much so when he did not react to the personal attack as delivered,” the PACE said.

JUDEA deplored that the impeachment complaint was not really a move towards making former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo accountable but rather part of an alleged grand scheme of the Aquino administration to maintain its high popularity ratings.

The LPCJA said they are “united in our stand to express our full support to Chief Justice Corona in these trying times.”

Executive Judge Rowena Apao-Adlawan of Tagum City, Davao del Norte also wrote an open-letter expressing her full support for Corona.

She said that “the callous call for Chief Justice Corona’s impeachment is not just an affront against him, but rather against the integrity of an institution called upon by the Constitution as a final arbiter of legal issues in the land, the bulwark of democracy.”

Aquino vs justices

President Aquino said the executive branch will only act against other SC justices if warranted after Corona is impeached.

Aquino’s allies at the House of Representatives said they were supporting his efforts to initiate reforms and act to impeach Corona.

“I think (the situation) is getting better because we are finding resolution,” Aquino said over GMA 7 Friday night.

“Now there is accountability, we brought back the issue that there should be no impunity, there should be accountability.”

Aquino said he was looking at everything whether decisions made were right and could improve relations among branches of government.