PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III fired another salvo at Chief Justice Renato Corona as he pressed his offensive against what he perceives as the main stumblingblock in his “matuwid na landas” journey.

Speaking at the first ever National Criminal Justice Summit at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel, the President questioned the latter’s appointment as well as his impartiality especially in cases involving former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who pur him at the helm of the Supreme Court before stepped down from the presidency.

Aquino did not mince words in criticizing the controversial decisions made under the Corona led High Tribunal.

The President immediately left the affair after delivering his rather strongly worded speech.    Corona sat in silence throughout Aquino’s strongly worded speech. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile sat between him and the President at the presidential table.

The President first slammed the Supreme Court’s  decision junking of the Truth Commission he created to investigate  alleged corruption in the Arroyo administration.

“Unang hakbang pa lamang, may barikada na agad,"   Aquino said .

He later blasted the High Court for stopping the Department of Justice from implementing its watch list order against Arroyo and former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

Aquino said that the Executive had followed the process and yet the high court was saying the Palace was the one looking for a fight.

“Sino ba naman ang hindi magdududa sa tunay nilang hangarin?” he said, adding that this was not the first time the high court had made decisions “hard to understand.”

President Aquino also took the opportunity to question the appointment of Corona, noting that Arroyo had made sure that Corona would be Chief Justice before she stepped down.

"Kung may isang lingkod bayan na tumatanaw ng utang na loob hindi sa taumbayan na siyang dapat pagmulan ng kapangyarihan kundi sa isang padron na isiniksik siya sa puwesto, maasahan po kaya natin siyang intindihin ang interes ng Filipino," Aquino said.

He noted that the high court had ruled that it was against the law to appoint someone two months before the next election unless it was just a temporary position in the executive, but it flip-flopped and agreed that Corona’s appointment was legal.

“The question now: did the Supreme Court violate the Constitution?” he said stressing that Corona’s appointment came a week after the 2010 presidential polls.

The President also questioned the Supreme Court’s about face on the issue of the creation of congressional districts notably in the case of Camarines Sur, which was split into two districts even if the required number of population was not met.

Aquino resolved to continue to pursue his fight against corruption.

“Sa lahat ng nakikibalikat sa atin sa tuwid na daan, manalig kayo: Hanggat’ nasa tama tayo, wala tayong laban na aatrasan,” he vowed.

"We respect the co-equal status between the executive and the judiciary.Wala kaming balak tapakan ang karapatan nila o bastusin ang sino man " he said.

"But elected officials are indebted to our bosses, the Filipino people. If there are public servants who are not for the interest of the people and are instead looking at their padron, can we expect them to side with the people?" the President said.

After his speech, the President shook hands with officials sitting at the presidential table, including Corona. He shook hands with the Chief Justice when he arrived at the summit and when he left the event.

Corona remained calm the entire time, while participants in the summit applauded Aquino's speech.

After delivering his own speech, Corona quietly left the venue and refused to dignify the President’s verbal assault.

“Huwag na, hayaan na. Let’s think of peace. Ok na,” Corona told reporters in an ambush interview.

For her part, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said when asked for her comment, said that Mr. Corona remained calm and sober despite Aquino verbally attacked him.

“He’s very cool and calm. Ganyan naman ata ang personality ng CJ (Chief Justice). We give it to him that he remained very professional,” she said.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda defended the President’s speech, stressing it was a statement of accountability was not insulting to Corona.

Dismissing observation that the President bashed Corona before the audience at the summit, Lacierda stressed that there was nothing personal as Aquino reminded all public servants to be accountable to the people.

“The President made his point. He wanted to make a statement knowing fully well the presence of the other heads of the other branches of government,” Lacierda said.

Other officials who attended the summit included De Lima, Enrile, and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Chief Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Francisco Villaluz, Public Attorney Persida V. Rueda Acosta,  Metro Manila Development Authority,and  PNP Chief Director General  Nicanor Bartolome, among others.

The summit gathered close to 500 justice officials, law enforcers, prosecutors, judges, corrections administrators, legal scholars and other stakeholders.

The draft of the new Penal Code of the Philippines which was supposed to be unveiled by Aquino was signed by Corona and De Lima.    

With Hector Lawas