Supreme Court dismisses Corona petition questioning impeachment legality

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the petition of ousted chief justice Renato Corona questioning the legality of his impeachment.

SC justices voted unanimously to dismiss Corona’s petition for being moot following his removal from office last May 29.

The SC said Corona immediately accepted the Senate verdict to remove him and without any protest he vacated his office.

“An issue or a case becomes moot and academic when it ceases to present a justiciable controversy so that a determination thereof would be without practical use and value,” read the ruling.

“In such cases, there is noactual substantial relief to which the petitioner would be entitled to and which would be negated by the dismissal of the petition.”

Corona had asked the SC to stop his trial, claiming the impeachment court committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction when it proceeded to trial on the basis of a constitutionally infirm and defective complaint at the House of Representatives.

He had alleged grave abuse of discretion also when the impeachment court did not strike out the charges discussed in Article II of the complaint, which do not constitute allegations in law, much less ultimate facts, being all premised on suspicion and/or hearsay.

Corona contended that the impeachment court abused its discretion when it allowed the presentation of evidence on charges of alleged corruption and unexplained wealth, which violated his right to due process.

Corona also questioned the issuance of subpoena for the production of his alleged bank accounts as the prosecution had requested despite being the result of an illegal act.

Associate Justice Martin Villarama penned the decision.  

Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. took no part, while Justice Arturo Brion was on leave during deliberations.

At Malacañang, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Corona’s ouster was not to inflict harm on the judiciary, but to introduce and implement reforms.

“Are we prepared to accept the premise that it is a wounded court?” he said. “From the point of view of the executive branch, I think we reformed (the judiciary).”

Lacierda said the Corona impeachment was an important step in judicial reform.                

“So we don’t necessarily follow that it is a wounded court,” he said. “In fact, it’s part of our advocacy for reform.”

Lacierda made the comment in light of SC Justice Roberto Abad’s opinion that Corona’s case had wounded the judiciary. – Edu Punay, Delon Porcalla