PRESS RELEASE
AKBAYAN PARTY
Akbayan Party today hit Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero for defending controversial Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona whom different civil society organizations branded as “CoronArroyo”, to illustrate the extraordinary closeness of the chief justice to his former boss, former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
It was reported that Senator Escudero asserted that Akbayan and other civil society leaders are not “party of interest” to the Arroyo cases thus, have no right to ask Corona to inhibit from the said cases pending before the high court.
“Those who filed a petition asking Corona to inhibit from Arroyo’s cases are ‘party’ to the Arroyo cases. They are not only citizens of the Republic, they are also legitimate voters who have substantial interest in seeing to it that the alleged election saboteurs of the 2007 elections are made to account. Hence, any registered voter has a legal standing to intervene in the electoral sabotage case filed against Arroyo,” Akbayan Acting President Marie Chris Cabreros said.
Cabreros explained that all registered voters have a right to know the true will of the electorate in the 2007 elections.
“Asserting that advocates of inhibition do not possess the requisite legal standing is tantamount to saying that the people have no right to inquire as to the legitimacy of the 2007 elections. Worse, it is quite disturbing that lawyer-senators such as Escudero would attempt to thwart efforts of the body politic to express their views on matters imbued with great public interest such as the results of the elections,” Cabreros said.
Cabreros said Escudero should stop lawyering for “CoronArroyo” and instead defend the people’s campaign to exact justice from the Arroyos.
“What is the interest of the good senator in his spirited defense of a credibility-challenged chief justice? Instead of defending a chief justice whom the public wants to merely inhibit from Arroyo’s cases to preserve the integrity of the high court, the good senator should protect the people’s rightful pursuit of justice,” Cabreros said.
The group also assailed Escudero for disapproving of the people’s option to impeach Corona if ever he refuses to heed the inhibition call. The senator said different groups should refrain from engaging the legislature from being a party to the clash between the Executive and the Judiciary.
“Sen. Escudero should be the last person to prevent the people from exercising their right to mull over their constitutional options including impeachment to make their leaders such as the chief justice accountable,” Cabreros said.
“Lest the good senator forget, he led an impeachment move against a chief justice in 2003, which was allegedly used as leverage on behalf of Danding Cojuangco during the height of the coco levy issue in the high tribunal,” Cabreros said.
“Is Sen. Escudero insinuating that personalities can use the impeachment option to push their vested interests like in 2003, but not the people who genuinely desire truth and accountability concerning the Arroyos?” Cabreros asked.
On Tuesday, the Bantay Gloria Network group filed a petition before the SC asking Corona to inhibit himself from the cases involving Arroyo.
The petitioners were former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros, Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement, truth crusader Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, and Juan Tejano, student council chairperson of the University of the Philippines College of Social Sciences and Philosophy.
The petitioners argued that Corona should inhibit from the Arroyo cases because of his long and deep political relationship with the Arroyos. The petitioners said that prior to Corona’s “midnight appointment” as chief justice by the Arroyo administration, Corona served under then Vice President Arroyo as chief of staff and then joined her in Malacanang when she assumed the presidency on January 20, 2001.
The group also highlighted the voting pattern of Corona, which they said was highly biased in favor of Arroyo. ###
http://www.akbayan.org.ph/news/12-press-releases/150-akbayan-to-chiz-stop-lawyering-for-coronarroyo
Don’t lose any more time debating
to make Corona inhibit himself
from the cases involving Arroyo.
You have enough evidence to impeach him, thus inhibit him forever.
Don’t go around beating the bushes hoping for Justice to come out.
Let Justice rule.
Extract the truth out,
hidden under the rug by dubious authorities,
and exact accountability
where accountability falls.
Impeach him instead, I think there’s enough ground for impeachment..!!! inhibit him permanently..
End the corruption & malpractice within the SC. Justice is NOT SERVED for the Filipino people. Corona’s midnight appointment was apparently illegal (out of the rules/ regulations) anyway. He must be inhibited forever by impeachment. He is working for Arroyo; NOT for the JUSTICE of the cheated Filipino voters/ citizens.