Lawmakers dare Corona's pro bono lawyers

MANILA, Philippines - Lawmakers who signed the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona challenged yesterday his lawyers to make public their pending cases with the Supreme Court (SC) as they could be offering their services for free in exchange for favors.

Corona’s defense team is composed of highly paid lawyers from the law offices of Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles, Siguion-Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako, Esguerra & Blanco, Bodegon Estominos Borje & Gozos, Quicho & Angeles, among others, which usually represent wealthy individuals, big companies and multinational corporations in court litigation, the congressmen said.

The defense panel is led by veteran attorney Serafin Cuevas, a retired Supreme Court associate justice.

There are also, however, allegations that a law firm connected to Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., the lead prosecutor, is the one handling the Hacienda Luisita case that is of importance to President Aquino.

“The Chief Justice has hired an army of expensive and high-profile lawyers to defend him in the impeachment trial,” House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, one of the 188 congressmen who voted to impeach Corona, said.

“We and the Filipino people have every reason to fear that Corona’s counsels are not exactly giving away their services for free,” he said.

According to Gonzales, delicadeza dictates that the chief magistrate’s defense lawyers come clean and “reveal their cases pending with the high tribunal if they want to erase that cloud of suspicion.”

“What are they expecting to get in return for providing free legal services to the Chief Justice? The impeachment trial is not yet over and he’s already deeply indebted to his lawyers,” he said.

By offering free legal services to Corona, Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño pointed out, the chief magistrate and his lawyers are complicit in the violation of Rule 4 of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which bars a judge or a justice or any member of his family from accepting gift or favor.

Corona could also be violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits government officials from accepting expensive gifts.

“The free legal services in Corona’s case are a form of gift or favor. The pro bono services of his lawyers will consequently have undue influence on his future decisions as Chief Justice. Their relationships accentuate many opportunities for conflicts of interests,” Casiño said.

The lawmakers, who call themselves the 188 Movement, referring to the number of congressmen who signed the eight Articles of Impeachment against Corona for betrayal of public trust, excessive entanglement with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and culpable violation of the Constitution, among others, also said the chief magistrate should follow the example of former United States President Bill Clinton when he faced a similar proceeding in Washington.