Learning from the Corona impeachment

Those who ignore the lessons of the past mistakes are bound to suffer by their repetition. This was written by philosopher George Santayana in his famous 1905 book “The Life of Reason”.

Those involved in today's impeachment of VP Sara Duterte should look at the impeachment of the 23rd Philippine chief justice, the late Renato Corona. On May 29, 2012, he was convicted by the Senate with a vote of 20 Guilty and three Not Guilty. It was alleged the impeachment was an act of vengeance by President PNoy in connection with the Hacienda Luisita case.

The Articles of Impeachment were approved by the House on December 12, 2011. The Senate convened as an impeachment court on January 16, 2012. The House team of prosecutors was headed by Neil Tupas from Iloilo and included, among others, Raul Daza, Northern Samar; Reynaldo Umali, Oriental Mindoro; Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Neri Colmenares, Elpidio Barzaga, Cavite; Georgidi Aggabao, Isabela; and Kaka Bag-ao of Akbayan.

The defense team was composed of retired Supreme Court justice Serafin Cuevas, Professor Jacinto Jimenez of Ateneo, Pamantasan ng Maynila Law dean Jose Roy III, former Ateneo Law dean Eduardo de los Angeles, Siguion Reyna Law Firm partners German Licauco II and Dennis Manalo, IBP general counsel Ramon Esguerra, former Pamantasan ng Pasay Law dean Tranquil Salvador and Karen Jimeno, a former partner of Quisumbing and Torres Law Firm.

The following senators voted Guilty: Edgardo Angara, Alan Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Frank Drilon, Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, TG Guingona, Gringo Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Serge Osmeña, Kiko Pangilinan, Koko Pimentel, Ralph Recto, Bong Revilla, Tito Sotto, Antonio Trillanes IV, Manny Villar and the Senate President, Juan Ponce Enrile. The three for Not Guilty were Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor Santiago and BBM.

Evidence submitted showed the following net worth of Corona in the following years: 2002-?14.96 million; 2003-?7,359M; 2004-?7.359M; 2005-?8.359M; 2006-?9.559M; 2007 -?11.059 M; 2008-?12.559M; 2009-?14.559M and 2010-?22.938M. The prosecution said Corona's net worth suddenly ballooned in 2010.

The Register of Deeds of Taguig testified to ?14.6M worth of condo units in Bellagio Tower. BIR Commissioner Kim Henares testified Corona had incomplete income tax returns. Henares told the Senate impeachment court Corona's daughter bought from Megaworld an ?18-million property and another daughter bought an expensive real estate property located in McKinley Hill in Fort Bonifacio. The Senate president, over the objection of the defense, allowed Henares to testify on the properties of Corona's son-in-law.

An Ayala Land executive testified the Corona family purchased another property at the Columns Condo Tower in Makati not included in some of the SALNs submitted by Corona. The impeachment records also indicated subpoenas were issued to the PSB Bank, Katipunan Branch, BPI, Ayala Branch, among others. Senator Escudero said these violated the Bank Secrecy Law.

One issue that excited the interests of my own students in Labor Law, was the alleged "flip-flopping" by the Corona Court in a case involving flight attendants and stewardesses against the management of Philippine Airlines. Corona was taken to task for ruling first in favor of the employees, then again for the employees, only to reverse himself when the case was supposedly reopened after the decision had been made immutable.

The reopening supposedly happened after the late Atty. Estelito Mendoza wrote a letter to his Corona, his former UP student. The prosecution said Corona should have inhibited from the case considering his special relationship with Mendoza. Corona filed a petition before the Supreme Court asking it to enjoin the Senate from further committing alleged grave abuses of discretion. Corona also asked that Justices Maria Lourdes Sereno and Antonio Carpio should be asked to inhibit from that petition against the Senate.

On May 29, 2012, Corona was convicted and removed as chief justice, the first top magistrate to suffer such a fate. In September of 2013, Senator Jinggoy Estrada delivered a stunning privilege speech revealing that senators who voted to convict Corona were given ?50 million more in confidential funds. On January 20, 2014, Senator Bong Revilla also revealed he was allegedly convinced by the late president Noynoy Aquino to convict Corona.

On April 29, 2016, Corona died a very sad and devastated man. On June 24, 2021, former president Aquino also died. The unconfirmed allegation that the Corona impeachment was an act of vengeance by Aquino has never been confirmed or proven wrong. We leave that to history to judge. But we should all learn from that horrible experience.