Senators split on possible option to reprimand instead of remove Corona

By KIMBERLY JANE TAN, GMA News

Published January 24, 2012 5:46pm

Senators on Tuesday were divided on the possibility that the Senate, sitting as the impeachment court, can simply reprimand Chief Justice Renato Corona instead of removing him from office if he is found guilty on any of the Articles of Impeachment.

Earlier in the day, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said the wording of a provision in the 1987 Constitution implies that the Senate can give Corona, if proven guilty on any of the Articles of Impeachment, a punishment lower than removal from office.

She cited Article XI, Section 3 (7) of the Constitution which states that "judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than removal from office and disqualification to hold any office under the Republic of the Philippines, but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to prosecution, trial, and punishment, according to law."

In a text message to GMA News Online, Sen. Francis Escudero concurred with Santiago's position. "Sen. Santiago is correct. I agree with her," he said.

Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said in a separate text message that Santiago raised "a very valid point" but stressed: "Although penalty less than removal is theoretically possible, it also doesn't mean that removal is out of the question."

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, however, had a different view on the matter.

"With due respect to the constitutional expert of the Senate, I will have to disagree. We either convict or acquit and the penalty is only removal from office in case of a conviction - nothing more, nothing less," Lacson said in another text message.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said this was not the first time that the issue was raised, and it has never been resolved.

"Hati-hati ang opinyon diyan...medyo sindami ang nagsasabing pwede sa nagsasabing hindi pwede," he said in an interview with reporters on Tuesday.

Santiago also raised the issue during Tuesday's trial but she said she will let the senators decide the matter in a caucus. — RSJ/YA, GMA News

Tags: renatocorona, miriamdefensorsantiago, coronaimpeachment,