Tatanggap ngayon ng survivorship benefits ang asawa ni dating Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Renato Corona na napatalsik bilang punong mahistrado ng Korte Suprema noong 2012.
Kasunod na rin ito ng unanimous full court decision na isinulat ni Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando.
Sa desisyon ng SC, entitled si Corona ng kanyang retirement benefits na katumbas ng limang taong lump sum ng kanyang sahod at ilang allowances.
Pero dahil namatay na ito noong 2016 sa edad na 67-anyos, ang asawa ni Corona na si Ma. Cristina Roco Corona ang tatanggap sa mga benepisyo.
Base sa record ng SC, matapos umanong ianunsiyo ng Senado ang impeachment ni Corona noong May 29, 2012 ay sinampahan ang noo’y chief justice ng tax evasion charges, 32 criminal cases dahil sa perjury, 33 administrative complaints dahil sa paglabag sa Republic Act 6713 ng Code of Conduct of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees at civil case para sa forfeiture noong 2014 .
Pero ang naturang mga charges ay na-terminate nang namatay si Corona noong 2016.
Ang desisyon ng kataas-taasang hukuman ay nag-ugat sa sulat ng asawa ni Corona na si Cristina na may petsang July 13, 2020.
Iginiit ni Mrs. Corona sa SC na ang kanyang namayapang asawa ay napatalsik sa puwesto sa pamamagitan ng impeachment kaya nanawagan itong payagang ibigay ang kanyang retirement benefits at iba pang mga benepisyo sa ilalim ng Sections 1 at 3 ng Republic Act No. 9946 (RA 9946) at monthly survivorship pension sa Administrative Circular No. 81-2010 (AC 81-2010).
Ipinunto nitong entitled ang kanyang asawa sa naturang mga benepisyo dahil pinaghirapan naman niya ito ng 20 taon sa public service hanggang sa natanggal sa serbisyo sa edad na 63.
Nakasaad sa desisyon na ang impeachment ay political ang nature at ang proceedings dito ay para kumpirmahin at hatulan ang akusado base sa tiwala ng sambayanang Pilipino at hindi kasali rito ang kanyang legal right, title, eligibility o qualifications ng naturang opisyal.
“Impeachment is political; quo warranto is judicial. Impeachment proceedings seek to confirm and vindicate the breach of the trust reposed by the Filipino people upon the impeachable official, but quo warranto determines the legal right, title, eligibility, or qualifications of the incumbent to the contested public office,” base sa desisyon.
“How, then, will a failure to judicially convict for any liability post-impeachment affect the employment status, retirement benefits, survivorship pension, and other emoluments pertaining to the impeached?,” tanong ng SC.
Narito naman ang sagot sa naturang tanong:
“A respondent in impeachment proceedings does not risk forfeiture of the constitutional rights to life, liberty, or property. A separate determination of liability under the courts of law is necessary to withhold such rights. Sans judicial conviction, the impeached official shall only be removed from office, with the Senate being empowered with the discretion to impose the additional penalty of permanent disqualification from holding any and all further public office. Having been removed by the Congress from office with a lifetime ban from occupying any and all future public posts, but without a proper determination of or even a basis for any recoverable liability under the law due to causes beyond his control, Chief Justice Corona may be considered involuntarily retired from public service. Provisions in the 1935, 1973 and 1987 Constitution declared: “Judgments in cases of impeachment shall be limited to removal from office and disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust, or profit under the Republic of the Philippines, but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to prosecution, trial, and punishment, in accordance with law. Impeachment proceedings are entirely separate, distinct, and independent from any other actionable wrong or cause of action a party may have against the impeached officer, even if such wrong or cause of action may have a colorable connection to the grounds for which the officer have been impeached,” ayon sa SC.
Mayo 29 noong 2012, nang magbotohan ang Senado sa impeachment na dininig ng Senado at tatlong senador lamang ang nagdesisyong absuweltuhin si Corona Kaiblang sina datying Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor-Santiago at Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr.
Ang 19 namang senador ay hinatulang guilty si Corona dahil sa sa kabiguan nitong isapubliko ang kanyang statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) ay sina dating Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senators Edgardo Angara, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Franklin Drilon, Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Senator 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., Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Antonio Trillanes IV at Manuel Villar.
