De Lima on Corona media blitz: That's unbecoming of chief justice

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday joined a number of personalities criticizing impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona for the series of television and radio interviews he gave recently.   In a chance interview with reporters at the Department of Justice (DOJ), De Lima described Corona's moves as "unbecoming of a chief justice."   "He's not supposed to be a politician,” she said. “He is the highest official of the judiciary, which is an oath to be completely non-partisan and therefore should be devoid of political and partisan elements and personalities."   Sought for comment, lawyer Tranquil Salvador III, one of Corona’s counsel in his impeachment trial, said the chief magistrate’s actions might have been an indication that he has had enough of criticisms against him and his family.   "The CJ (chief justice) may have been constrained to speak up because of the continuous attack against him and his family for the last three months," Salvador said. "Tao lang naman po siya at nasasaktan." De Lima was among the prosecution's witnesses in Corona's impeachment trial in the Senate. Scathing remarks   De Lima recalled how Corona, in several instances in the past, publicly delivered "scathing remarks belonging only to a political stage."   These would include his Dec. 14 speech before his supporters at the Supreme Court where he branded the Aquino administration as a "dictatorship." A month later, on Jan. 16, Corona, during the flag-raising ceremony in the Supreme Court, alleged that his impeachment was connected to the Hacienda Luisita land row where President Benigno Aquino III's relatives are involved. On Feb. 12, Corona mentioned the same in a speech he delivered during the blessing of the Justicia Room of the Ateneo Law School in Rockwell Center, Makati City.   "Tapos eto na naman ang hopping from one station to another with all of those interviews," De Lima said.   Apart from GMA New’s "Unang Hirit" and "News To Go" and radio dzBB, Corona on Wednesday also granted interviews with news programs of ABS-CBN and TV5 networks. The chief magistrate was also interviewed Thursday morning on dwIZ radio.  Proper venue   De Lima said Corona has the right to defend himself, but added the chief magistrate should be doing it at the right venue, which she said is the Senate impeachment court. "To do those things, things that are normally the territory of politicians, ginagaya niya, that's too unbecoming of a chief magistrate," she said.   In a statement on Thursday, the Villaraza Cruz Marcelo & Angangco law office — popularly known as "The Firm" — also branded Corona's “media blitz” as being "more suitable of a politician than a sitting magistrate." The law firm also denied Corona's accusation that it was behind a "professional hatchet job" against him.   Meanwhile, Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo, prosecution spokesperson, criticized Corona for explaining his side to the media instead of presenting evidence before the Senate impeachment court.   Quimbo described Corona's interviews as a "defense by publicity." — KBK, GMA News