Belmonte: Corona is not the judiciary

(Updated 2:40 p.m.) Two days after rallying administration allies into impeaching Chief Justice Renato Corona, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Wednesday reminded the chief magistrate that he is not the embodiment of the entire judiciary.

 

“The Chief Justice should not confuse himself with the judiciary... I could not imagine the President declaring a holiday if he’s going through something like this,” Belmonte told reporters when asked for his reaction on the court holiday launched by court employees to support Corona.

 

He also reminded other Supreme Court (SC) justices that they are also covered by the laws and the Constitution, as exemplified by Corona’s impeachment.

 

“Members of the Supreme Court should not feel they are sancrosanct. It only shows that pare-parehas tayong subject to the same laws,” he said.

 

On Monday, 188 lawmakers agreed to impeach Corona for alleged betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution and graft and corruption.

 

In response to the lower chamber’s move, various courts nationwide declared a holiday starting 1 p.m. Wednesday as an expression of support to the embattled chief magistrate.

 

Belmonte, however, said that he “respects” the declaration of a court holiday, since it is the choice of the judiciary’s personnel to support Corona.