Some unfinished business in Corona trial
The so-called political harassment of former chief justice Renato Corona is once again gaining currency with the Inquirer headlining allegations that the Malampaya funds were given out by Malacañang to senators to make sure the impeachment trial would result in a conviction. By all means this allegation should be looked into more deeply. And the transgressors, including those in Malacañang, should be made to answer.
And we might as well look back into some unfinished business in that impeachment trial. Have we forgotten about the “perks and privileges” allegedly extended by Philippine Airlines to Corona and his family? That was the essence of the aborted testimony of PAL vice president for sales (is he still?) Enrique Javier. PAL was giving out “platinum cards” entitling the holders thereof to freebies and courtesies that include first-class travel and accommodation (News, 2/24/12). That was graft and corruption, pure and simple. The senator-judges stopped him from testifying on the pretext that such charges were not part of the impeachment indictment. That triggered speculations that some senator-judges themselves might have been recipients of such privileges.
But to law students like us, the more important question is: Aside from those named by Javier, how many other members of the judiciary enjoyed (or still enjoy) the use of those “platinum cards”? This is an anomaly of the highest order. The paper trail is there, if anyone cared to look. Can there ever be any investigation into this stink? Is Javier’s testimony ever going to see the light of day? Is not the Integrated Bar of the Philippines interested at all in seeing to it that judges and justices are above suspicion?
—GABRIELLE MICHELLE M. AGUILLERA,
