More students believe CJ no longer fit to stay in office - poll

MANILA, Philippines - The Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP) released the results of another poll yesterday, which showed that a majority of students believe that Chief Justice Renato Corona is no longer fit to remain in office.

SCAP national secretary-general Gibby Gorres said their survey was guaranteed by their freedom of expression and could not be covered by the sub judice rule since they were not party to the impeachment case.

The schools covered in the poll were Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), De La Salle University (DLSU), Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU), University of the East (UE) and Tarlac State University (TSU).

“The survey was conducted to gauge the interest and satisfaction of the students concerning the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Corona,” SCAP deputy spokesperson Kristine Baguio said.

Of the five schools, four showed distrust in the Chief Justice (DLSU - 69.3 percent; UE - 77 percent; TSU - 75.4 percent; and ADDU - 78.3 percent).

Most of the students of these schools expressed the view that Corona is no longer fit to remain in his position (ADMU - 45 percent, DLSU - 63 percent, UE - 56.4 percent, TSU - 76.8 percent, and ADDU - 76.7 percent)

At the ADMU, out of the 410 students that were surveyed from March 11 to 15, 41 percent said that they do not trust the chief magistrate.

In DLSU, 300 were questioned from March 22 to 25; while 500 students from UE Manila were surveyed from March 13 to 15.

At ADDU, 300 students were asked from March 22 to 25, while 500 students from TSU were interviewed from March 13 to 14.

SCAP secretary-general Gorres noted that in the ADMU survey, a substantial percentage of students were still undecided or had yet to form an opinion about the issue.

Corona downplays unpopularity

Meanwhile, Corona downplayed yesterday his unpopularity rating, saying that public opinion has no place in the judiciary so he believes he is still fit to continue as chief justice.

“Popular opinion or political expediency does not sway the way we decide cases in the judiciary,” he said in his speech before graduates of Philippine Law School at the Philippine International Convention Center yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago challenged Pulse Asia officials to reveal who commissioned the survey, which showed 47 percent of Filipinos believe that the impeachment court would convict Corona.

Santiago said the survey result can be considered an indirect contempt by Pulse Asia, which could only muddle up the entire judicial system.

Santiago called on the defense panel to file a petition before the impeachment court to question Pulse Asia for what she described as a malicious survey. – With Edu Punay, Christina Mendez