Corona: Aquino 'retaliation' finally set in motion through Ombudsman

Chief Justice Renato Corona's fears of "retaliation" from the Aquino administration for the Hacienda Luisita ruling has finally materialized.

 

This, the chief magistrate claimed in a text message to reporters, in reaction to a recent order from the Office of the Ombudsman, asking him to explain the existence of his $10 million bank account.

 

"Obviously a clear retaliation for our decision on Hacienda Luisita," Corona said, referring to a Supreme Court ruling last April 24 reinforcing the total land distribution of the more than 4,000-hectare sugar plantation in Tarlac.

 

The farmland is owned by the Cojuangco family, which includes the late President Corazon Aquino, mother of incumbent President Benigno Aquino III.

 

'Not a retaliation'

 

Malacañang on Monday, however, denied Corona's accusation.

 

In a text message, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Corona received the Ombudsman's letter last April 23 or a day before the SC decision in the case of Hacieda Luisita came out. 

 

"Obviously, the letter could not be a retaliation on the decision because the letter requiring CJ to explain came a day before the decision," he said.

 

He added it is highly possible that since the Chief Justice already knew that he was required to explain by the Ombudsman, he is now conditioning the public to think the letter was a retaliation, when in fact it came before the Luisita decision. 

 

"CJ (Chief Justice Corona) should be more prudent with his statements, it clearly shows his unstatesmanlike behavior," Lacierda further said.

 

'Black propaganda'

 

In the same ruling, the high court ruled that the much lower 1989 real estate rates of P40,000 per hectare should be used to compute the just compensation to be paid to the Cojuangco family, which on the contrary wanted the much higher 2006 rates in which the clan stands a chance of getting almost P10 billion.

 

Corona said the sudden involvement of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales with the controversies surrounding his wealth was part of a smear campaign right before his impeachment trial resumes next week.

 

"It's part of the black propaganda and mind conditioning preparatory to the resumption of the trial on May 7," Corona said.

 

Incidentally, Carpio-Morales was a fellow magistrate of Corona at the Supreme Court until she was appointed to be Ombudsman by President Aquino last year.

 

Carpio-Morales was the lone dissenter at the high court on the issue of the electoral ban on appointments, stating that Corona's appointment is considered a "midnight appointment."

 

Corona had already categorically denied having a $10-million dollar account, and said the Ombudsman does not have jurisdiction over the high court anyway.

 

The deadline of the filing of Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth ends today, and justices are required to file theirs with the SC clerk of court.

 

Last week, in a separate text message to reporters, Corona said that an Aquino-led "retaliation" was "sigurado [certain]." –KG, GMA News