Renato Corona Verdict: Senate Impeachment Court Convicts Chief Justice

Renato Corona Verdict (May 29, 2012)

Chief Justice Renato Corona is officially ousted from office after 20 of the 23 senator-judges of the impeachment court found him guilty of Article 2 of the complaint filed against him, which is about failing to disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth.

"The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, having tried Chief Justice Renato Corona, upon three articles of impeachment charged against him by the House of Representatives, by a guilty vote of 20 senators, has found him guilty of the charge under Article II," said Senate President and Presiding Judge Juan Ponce Enrile. "Now therefore, be it adjudged that Renato Corona, is hereby convicted of the charge against him in Article II of the Articles of impeachment, so ordered."

Only Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr. voted
for the acquittal of the chief magistrate.

The 20 senators who voted for his conviction and said that Corona is not anymore fit in sitting as the highest judge in the land were Senators Edgardo Angara, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Franklin Drilon, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Teofisto Guingona III, Gregorio Honasan II, Panfilo Lacson, Manuel Lapid, Loren Legarda, Sergio Osmeña III, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Ralph Recto, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Antonio Trillanes IV, Manuel Villar and Juan Ponce Enrile.

Corona is said to be the first chief justice to be impeached in the country. His historic impeachment trial lasted for 44 days.