Below is the official statement of the Office of the President on the declaration of court holiday by the courts to protest the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“The sudden declaration of a court holiday on December 14, 2011 is yet another example of how justice can be subverted to further the interest of one.

“Court hearings set for today have been cancelled—there are even reports that hearings on the Maguindanao massacre case have been reset—so that court employees can attend a hastily planned rally this afternoon in support of Chief Justice Corona. If this is true, then one must ask if the judiciary is not being manipulated into participating in one man’s personal issues.

“We call on Chief Justice Corona, should he deny that a court holiday has been declared, to order them back to work and let not slow to a grinding halt the wheels of justice.  We call on members of the judiciary to not let themselves be used to further the political agenda of one man and his patron.” – Rappler.com