THE Supreme Court (SC) en banc ruled that the late chief justice Renato Corona was entitled to receive retirement benefits despite his impeachment in 2012.
In a 26-page decision penned by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, the high court also stated that Corona’s wife, Ma. Cristina Roco, shall be entitled to survivorship benefits.
The SC declared that Corona involuntarily retired from public service “due to the peculiar circumstances surrounding his removal by impeachment. ”
Corona was impeached for non-declaration of his statements of assets, liabilities and networth (SALNs). This is the first case in the history of the country’s judiciary.
The SC noted that after the Senate announced Corona’s impeachment on May 29, 2012, tax evasion charges, 32 criminal cases for perjury, 33 administrative complaints for violation of the Republic Act 6713 of the Code of Conduct of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and a civil case for forfeiture were slapped against him in 2014.
The charges were terminated upon Corona’s death in 2016.
