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MANILA, Philippines – Senator Sergio Osmeña III found Chief Justice Renato Corona guilty of the impeachment charges against him.
A former campaign manager of President Benigno Aquino III, Osmeña has always supported the impeachment of the Chief Justice. He once predicted the Chief Justice would quit.
He said the best evidence against Corona was Corona’s testimony itself, when he admitted keeping a total of P183-M in peso and dollar deposits.
Osmeña cited numerous decisions by the Supreme Court on punishment for violations of the law that created the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) law. He cited the case of an employee of the judiciary, Delsa Flores, who was punished for failing to disclose her stall in her SALN and was barred from government employment for life.
In previous media interviews, Osmeña said Corona should have declared his dollar accounts. “It does not matter if it’s peso or dollar. He must reflect that asset. It’s still an asset. It must be reflected in his SALN.”
Osmeña also said Corona should have disclosed his SALN. “Why will we submit a SALN if we will make it a secret? You will keep it in your desk or with your secretary. You said you filed. Where? ‘There, in the drawer of my secretary.’ So that does not comply with the spirit of the law.”
Osmeña said the Corona trial is about transparency so public officials will not hide behind various secrecy laws.
Corona had accused him of bias in a supplemental petition with the Supreme Court asking the Tribunal to nullify the trial. – Rappler.com
Click on the links below for more Rappler stories on the senator-judges’ verdict.
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