Corona denies accusing Carpio of lobbying for Webb’s acquittal

Chief Justice Renato Corona, through Supreme Court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez, denied telling Lauro Vizconde that a member of the high tribunal lobbied for the acquittal of Hubert Webb, who was previously convicted for the killing of Vizconde’s wife and two daughters 20 years ago. At a news briefing on Tuesday, Marquez said Corona was "very surprised" of Vizconde’s allegation. Marquez said the accusation was an indirect attack on the high court’s integrity. "I have spoken to the chief justice yesterday [Monday] and he has categorically denied issuing those statements. He never said those things because it’s really not in his character to say those things," said Marquez. Citing his conversation with Corona, Marquez said the chief justice met with Vizconde and former Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) chair Dante Jimenez in July last year. At the time, Corona was informed that the two would only congratulate him for his appointment as chief justice "He (Corona) does not know them personally," Marquez said. Meeting Marquez said that as the meeting progressed, Vizconde started discussing the killing of his wife Estrellita and daughters Carmela and Jennifer in June 1991. "What happened during that time was Mr. Vizconde sounded very upset because it happened that the court granted the conduct of a DNA testing, and it appeared that Mr. Vizconde was very sure that he was in fact accusing Chief Justice Corona of conniving with Justice [Antonio] Carpio in delaying the resolution of the case," said Marquez. At the time of the meeting, the Supreme Court was still deliberating on the appeal of Webb, who was among the seven men convicted by the Parañaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 in 2000 for the massacre case. The Court of Appeals sustained the guilty verdict in 2005, prompting Webb, son of former Senator Freddie Webb, to seek redress from the Supreme Court. Marquez said Vizconde, apparently quoting Corona, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Associate Justice Antonio Carpio tried to influence the other magistrates to vote for Webb's acquittal. Carpio had inhibited from the case’s deliberations because he once testified in favor of Webb when he was still in private practice. Asked if it was improper for Corona to meet with Vizconde, a litigant in a pending case, Marquez replied: "You will have to distinguish the chief justice from the other justices. A chief justice is also in effect the chief executive officer (CEO) of the entire judiciary. He also takes care of the administration of justice in court processes. [His duties] are not only purely adjudicative." Marquez said when Vizconde brought up the massacre case, Corona ended their meeting, which Marquez said lasted only five minutes. "When their conversation turned to that case, the chief justice had to end the meeting already." The Supreme Court, on Dec. 14 last year, acquitted Webb and six of his co-accused. It also denied Vizconde’s two motions for reconsideration that prayed for the reversal of the Dec. 14 ruling. "Miscarriage of justice" Vizconde alleged that there was a miscarriage of justice, and said a reliable source from the Supreme Court told him Carpio lobbied for Webb’'s acquittal. He added that the justices voted in favor Webb in exchange for payoffs. Vizconde’s accusations prompted the Supreme Court to order him to show proof that Carpio indeed lobbied for Webb’s acquittal and that money changed hands in connection with the ruling in favor of Webb. He declined to name his source, which earned him a strong admonition from the Supreme Court. On Tuesday, the Philippine Daily Inquirer came out with a report where Vizconde named Corona as his source on Carpio’s alleged lobbying. Vizconde said he was forced to squeal on Corona because of the court’s admonition of him. — KBK/RSJ, GMA News