... and so the saga continues.
The 5-month long Impeachment Trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona has finally ended. He is found GUILTY by the Impeachment Court via a vote of conviction of twenty Senator Judges. It ended well.
The question now is, "what's next?".
We expect that Chief Justice Renato Corona is removed from office immediately and be replaced by a better, more transparent Chief Justice. I understand that the person who will act as officer-in-charge (OIC) is the oldest, most senior associate justice. This could be Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. Meanwhile, a selection process will be undertaken by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) and submit their shortlist of candidates to the President. The President in turn will appoint the newly selected Chief Justice. How long will this take? We do not know since this unique scenario has not been done before. The JBC's selection and the President's appointment ordinarily takes place when a Chief Justice retires. Therefore, for that particular scenario there are preparations undertaken since the retirement date is known. Well, we just have to wait and see how fast or slow the government acts on this.
The more important answer however, to the question "what's next?", should be two things:
(1) the development of the cases of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and
(2) the "real" and "true" transparency in government starting with the waiver of all Congressmen, Senators, cabinet members and other high posts for their dollar bank deposits.
We now await! We now want "real" and "true" change... and so the saga continues for the Filipino people.
Recording of the Proclamation of the Verdict.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile proclaims the verdict for the impeachment case of Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona.
The transcript.
On Article II, 20 senators find the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Renato C. Corona, guilty as charged, and 3 senators, not guilty. With at least two thirds of all the members of the Senate having pronounced the respondent guilty, the Chair pursuant to Rule 21 of the Rules of Procedures on Impeachment Trials directs judgment to be entered in accordance with the judgment of the Senate as follows:
"The Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court, having tried Renato C. Corona, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, upon 3 Articles of Impeachment charged against him by the House of Representatives, by a guilty vote of 20 senators representing at least two thirds of all the members of the Senate, has found him guilty of the charge under Article II of the said Articles of Impeachment. Now therefore he is adjudged, that Renato C. Corona, is hereby convicted of the charge against him in Article II of the Articles of Impeachment. So ordered."
The secretary as clerk of the Impeachment Court is directed to provide a copy of the judgment to the respondent and his counsel, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court En Banc, the Judicial and Bar Council, and the President of the Republic of the Philippines. So ordered.
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