Renato Corona will not bring case to Supreme Court

By ROUCHELLE DINGLASAN, GMA News

Published May 31, 2012 1:24pm

(Updated 4:05 p.m.) The camp of convicted Chief Justice Renato Corona on Thursday decided not to bring the case of its client to the Supreme Court. In a report on GMA News Tv's “Balitanghali,” defense lawyer Tranquil Salvador III confirmed that Corona will no longer ask the help of the high court as the former chief justice was already "on high ground." “Kanina nga po ay nagkaroon kami ng pagkakataon na mag-usap at tinanong ko rin sa kanya kung anong nakikita niyang direksyon sa kaso. Kung maaalala ninyo [napag-aralan] na namin ang posibilidad na iakyat sa Supreme Court,” he said.

“Sabi niya (Corona), ‘I am on high ground already’ nung nag-waive siya ng kanyang bank accounts. At the same time po ay sinabi niya lahat ng dapat niyang sabihin... Sa tingin niya po ay naging transparent na siya nun at sapat na po sa kanya ‘yun,” Salvador said. Palace, senators welcome Corona's move

Malacañang and other senators who voted to convict Corona welcomed the development.

“That is properly the period that will close the chapter of the Corona impeachment,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a text message to reporters.

In separate text messages to GMA News Online, Senator-judges Francis Escudero and Antonio Trillanes IV commended Corona and his lawyers for their decision.

"I'm glad. And I thank them. That is an act of statesmanship and sportsmanship that they were unwilling to put the country on the brink of a constitutional crisis," said Escudero.

"That is a welcome development so that we can finally close that difficult chapter in our nation's history. For that, I commend Chief Justice Corona," added Trillanes.

But for Senators Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and Francis Pangilinan, it was just the wise and practical thing to do.

"That's the right decision because the Senate conviction is unappealable. Sayang lang oras nila," Pimentel said in a separate text message.

"It upholds the supremacy of the constitution. It shows that our Constitution reigns and rightly so," added Pangilinan in another text message.

Escudero, Trillanes, Pimentel, and Pangilinan all voted to convict Corona.

Since the early days of the impeachment trial, members of the defense panel have been hinting at seeking the intervention of the Supreme Court if senator-judges would commit “grave abuse of discretion” in making a decision. But lead defense counsel retired justice Serafin Cuevas earlier noted that the sole decision to seek the help of the high court solely depends on Corona. Voting 20-3 Tuesday, the Senate impeachment court convicted the chief magistrate of charges of betrayal of public trust for not faithfully declaring his wealth in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN). Corona to leave hospital Sunday Corona might be discharged from The Medical City in a few days. "Nasa ospital po at nagpapagaling [ang dating chief justice],” Salvador said. “Ang binabantayan po kasi sa kanya ay ang kanyang puso dahil medyo mahina po [dahil] sa negative publicity na natanggap niya. Siguro in a few days makakalabas na po,” he added. Another defense lawyer, Jose Roy III, in a text message to GMA News Online, said Corona is scheduled to leave the hospital on Sunday. On Tuesday last week, Corona was rushed to the Medical City in Pasig City after suffering from hypoglycemia, which his doctors claim to be a condition that may lead to a heart attack. — with Amita Legaspi and Kimberly Jane Tan/LBG/KG/RSJ/HS, GMA News

Tags: renatocorona, coronaimpeachment