SC junks Corona’s impeachment petition

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court on Wednesday, July 25, dismissed the petition of former Chief Justice Renato Corona which sought the nullification of the impeachment complaint filed against him in 2011. 

The SC, voting 13-0, said the petition has become moot and academic after Corona was removed by the Senate sitting as an impeachment court on May 29. He was convicted for failing to disclose 183 million in peso and dollar deposits in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.  

“[A]n issue or a case becomes moot and academic when it ceases to present a justiciable controversy so that a determination thereof would be without practical use and value. In such cases, there is no actual substantial relief to which the petitioner would be entitled to and which would be negated by the dismissal of the petition,” the SC said.

Justice Martin Villarama penned the decision. Justice Presbitero Velasco inhibited because his son, Rep Lord Allan Velasco, signed the impeachment complaint, while Justice Arturo Brion was on leave.

Corona said the impeachment complaint against him was “constitutionally infirm” and “defective.” – Rappler.com 

Click on the links below for related stories:

• Post-Corona: Reflections of 8 men
• [Short Documentary] Disrobing the Chief Justice
• #CoronaTrial: How the senators voted [with VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS]

Related opinion pieces: 

• 8 lessons from the Corona impeachment trial by Dean Tony La Viña
• It’s all over: Anatomy of a checkmate by Dean Tony La Viña
• The myth of the moral man by Patricia Evangelista