Philippines opens first-ever impeachment trial of top judge

Jan 16, 2012, 6:49 GMT

Manila - The Philippine Senate on Monday opened the first-ever impeachment trial against the country's top judge with prosecutors arguing he is unfit to remain in office after allegedly selling the Supreme Court's independence and honour.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile promised 'impartiality and fairness' in the trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, who has denied the allegations of corruption and bias.

'The task at hand is a constitutional mandate and duty which we have no discretion to postpone or evade,' he said. 'I am committed and determined to see this process all the way to completion.'

Enrile rejected a motion by Corona to return the complaint against him to the House of Representatives for further investigation.

Prosecutors said their evidence would show that Corona, 'by his misdeeds, is unfit to remain chief justice.'

'We are not here to indict the Supreme Court as an institution or to do battle with the judicial branch,' said Congressman Neil Tupas, head of the prosecution panel. 'We are here to search for the truth so as to restore the strength and independence of the judiciary.'

'We are here because one man, Chief Justice Renato Corona, has bartered away for the pot of porridge the effectiveness, independence and honour of the Supreme Court,' he added.

Corona is accused of protecting former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from investigation and prosecution for a string of corruption charges by ruling in her favour.

He is also accused of failing to declare some of his assets, including luxurious properties, and misappropriating judiciary funds.

President Benigno Aquino III, who has expressed support for Corona's impeachment, said he was confident of a guilty verdict.

'The charges leveled against the chief justice are very solid,' he told reporters. 'My expectation is that the Senate will look at the accusations and rule on them based on the evidence, and the evidence to be president are very strong.'

The chief justice, who was accompanied by his wife and family members at the first day of the trial, earlier vowed to fight the charges and rejected calls for him to resign to spare the country from what was expected to be a bruising fight in the Senate.

'Only death,' he said when asked in a television interview what would force him to step down. 'If they want to remove me from my post, they should kill me.'

Many of the corruption charges against him were 'invented' in a bid to remove him from the Supreme Court, Corona later told court employees, who held a rally and mass to express their support for him ahead of the start of the trial.

'I have done nothing wrong against the president. I have done nothing wrong against the people. I have not stolen from anyone,' he added to the cheers of the crowd.

Corona's defence panel alleged during their opening statement that their client was impeached to get back at the Supreme Court for an earlier decision to order the distribution of land in a sugarcane plantation owned by Aquino's family.

But presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Corona's 'conspiracy theory' only aimed to deflect attention to the charges against him. 'He has no one to blame for this but himself,' he said. 'The truth will come out.'