PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III yesterday kicked off the EDSA Revolt anniversary by rallying the people behind the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona whose acquittal would get in the way of his campaign to cleanse government of corruption.

“Maliwanag pa sa sikat ng araw: di tugma ang SALN sa mga pag-aari mo,” Aquino said in his “Pulong Bayan” caravan at the La Consolacion College in Manila.

“What should be the judgment (against Corona)? Is there still a question if his offenses are impeachable?” he asked his audience of hundreds of students from various colleges and universities.

The President said an acquittal will make it “extremely difficult, if not impossible” to pursue the reform agenda of his administration.

He was responding to a student during yesterday’s townhall meeting who asked how Corona’s acquittal would affect his commitment to run after corrupt officials.

Using graphics that showed the discrepancies between Corona’s assets and his bank accounts in the Bank of the Philippine Islands and the Philippine Savings Bank, the President later discussed Corona’s statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth and made sharp comments on it: “For example, in his 2010 SALN, he declared P3.5 million in cash. His three bank accounts showed he has a secret stash of P31.5 million. Ang P3.5 million pesos ay hindi kaparehas ng P31.5 million. Hindi scratch paper ang SALN. It is a signed and sworn affidavit (P3.5 million is not the same as P31.5 million...The SALN is not a scratch paper).”

Aquino also said Corona’s pronouncement that he will allow the opening of his dollar accounts in due time was not acceptable.

“When is this due time? Perhaps he is overdue... If you are a Chief Justice, are you exempted from obeying the law?”

The President dared Corona to “stop fooling the people” in trying to justify the “untruthful” declarations in his SALN.

He also took a potshot at his critics who have been accusing him of acting like a dictator in pushing for Corona’s removal from office.

“Before I was elected, they said I was a spoiled brat and immature. In 2010, they called me weak. In 2011, they called me a dictator. Now in 2012 they are calling me a weakling dictator.”

The President then cited the case of a certain Elsa Flores, a court interpreter from the Davao Regional Trial Court, who was sacked in 1997 for violation of the Republic Act 6713 or Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for her failure to declare her income from a market stall that she owned.

Aquino lamented that while the Supreme Court had dealt harshly with a Supreme Court employee who failed to include in her SALNs her family’s modest income from a market stall, the Chief Justice has evaded scrutiny of substantial wealth, as seen, Aquino said, from hearings at the Senate.

“Sa isang court interpreter, iyan po ang batayan. Magkano po kaya ang upa sa isang puwesto sa palengke? Sa Punong Mahistrado po ba, dapat naiiba? Kung si Ginang Flores po ay sinisante, ano po kaya ang dapat hatol kay Ginoong Corona? Kailangan pa po bang tanungin kung impeachable offense ang ginawa niya?” he asked.

Aquino reiterated that if Corona is not hiding anything, he should open his dollar accounts to public scrutiny.

“Kung wala kang ginawang mali, wala kang dapat itago. Kayo nga po ang tanungin ko: Ganito ba umasta ang isang taong walang dapat katakutan? Pahirapan ang paghagilap sa kanyang SALN, at hanggang ngayon, pilit niyang inililihim ang kanyang mga dollar account,” he said.

The President called on the public to take a more active role in the impeachment case against the Chief Justice even as he noted the discrepancy in Corona’s SALN and his deposits in PSBank and BPI.

People power

Earlier, the President recalled that prior to EDSA 1, ordinary people embarked on a civil disobedience campaign to show that power rests on them and not on the government.

“We are now being challenged to fight for our future... Should the ordinary Juans and Juanas allow themselves to be unheard in this impeachment?” Aquino asked his audience.

Aquino said when the trial began in January 16, he initially chose to keep quiet and observe as he had full confidence in the process.

“Now there are so many distractions trying to blur our focus,” he said.

Aquino clarified there was nothing personal in his quest for Corona’s impeachment.

“Lilinawin ko lang po: Walang personalan dito; sistemang pangkatarungan ang ipinaglalaban dito. At dahil malaki ang pagbabagong ating hinahangad, malaki rin po ang kinakabangga natin,” he said.

He said his duty is to serve justice and put balance in society as he urged the public to stand by the truth.

“Papayag ba tayo na magpatuloy ang sistema kung saan may nanlalamang at nilalamangan? Hahayaan ba nating magkatotoo ang sinasabing dalawang mukha ng katarungan sa Pilipinas – isa para sa makapangyarihan, at iba para sa mga nasa laylayan? Kuntento ka bang hindi patas ang laban? Hindi ba sulit na ituwid ang ganitong klaseng kalakaran? ‘Di po ba’t malinaw po ang mga alituntuning kailangang sundin ng lahat?” Aquino said.

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, has already warned that merits of the impeachment trial should not be discussed outside the proceedings.

Corona, for his part, has accused the President of committing an impeachable offense in calling on the Senate to defy a Supreme Court order barring the opening of his dollar accounts.

Defense counsel and spokesperson Karen Jimeno appealed to Aquino not to immediately jump to conclusions with his public pronouncements.

“Bago tayo maghusga, pakinggan muna natin ang panig ng nasasakdal. Nasa demokrasya pa naman po tayo kaya nga tayo may proseso ng paglilitis,” she added.

Jimeno said Aquino seemed to be acting as the judge in the impeachment case.

“Parang siya rin ang naglilitis. Hindi naman tama iyon at hindi ito makatarungan... Parang binibitay kaagad sa publiko,” Jimeno said.

She reiterated the defense panel’s repeated promise that the chief magistrate will answer all the charges being hurled against him at the “right time and at the proper forum.”

She said she was sad the executive department, particularly the President, continues to “publicly meddle” in the case. “Sana tumigil na ang ganitong pakikialam sa impeachment process dahil lahat tayo ay nasa ilalim ng Saligang Batas,” she added.

Jimeno said the defense is still looking forward to the speedy resolution of the case.