MANILA, Philippines - A day after the Senate impeachment court convicted Chief Justice Renato Corona for non-disclosure of his assets, including his dollar accounts, in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), the Supreme Court sitting en banc approves in principle the full disclosure of the SALNs of justices and judges.
Before the guilty verdict was handed down, the SC issued an order barring the Senate impeachment court from scrutinizing the SALN of Corona during the early part of the trial.
Lawyer Cleo Guerra, acting SC public information chief, said that all judges are also directed to make full disclosure of their 2011 SALN.
"The en banc approved in principle the release of the 2011 SALN in full of all judges and justices of the judiciary," Guerra said during press conference at the SC building in Manila.
Guerra said the guidelines for the release of the SALN will be further taken up by the SC in another special en banc session on June 13.
"It was the collective decision of the Court for the release of the SALN in full not summaries. Let us wait for the guidelines, maybe [they're] written in the whereas clauses," she said.
Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin and Diosdado Peralta were not present during the en banc session.
Meanwhile, Guerra confirmed that Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio is now the acting chief justice.
"Yes, he (Carpio) is now the acting chief justice by operation of law. He is the most senior justice," Guerra said.
Justice Carpio is the cousin of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who earlier testified in the impeachment court about Corona's dollar deposits. (From Philstar.com)