PRO bono or quid pro quo?
This was the question posed by pro-impeachment lawmakers to legal counsels of impeached Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Renato Corona as they challenged them to make public their pending cases with the SC amid fears that they are offering their services for free in exchange for favors.
“The chief justice has hired an army of expensive and high-profile lawyers to defend him in the impeachment trial,” said House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales II, one of the 188 congressmen who voted to oust Corona. “We and the Filipino people have every reason to fear that Corona’s counsels are not exactly giving away their services for free.”
The prosecution said Corona’s defense team is composed of highly-paid lawyers from the law offices of Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De los Angeles, Siguion-Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako, Esguerra & Blanco, Bodegon Estominos Borje & Gozos, Quicho & Angeles, among others, which usually represent wealthy individuals, big companies and multinational corporations in court litigation.
The defense panel is led by veteran attorney Serafin Cuevas, a former SC associate justice and served as lead lawyer in the impeachment case of former President Joseph Estrada.
According to Gonzales, delicadeza dictates that the chief magistrate’s defense lawyers come clean and reveal their cases pending with the high tribunal if they want to erase that cloud of suspicion.
“What are they expecting to get in return for providing free legal services to the chief justice? Hindi pa po tapos ang impeachment trial ni Corona, lubog na lubog na po siya sa utang na loob sa mga abogado nya,” said Gonzales.
Published : Thursday May 24, 2012 | Category : National | Views : 3
AN Islamic-friendly and culturally-sensitive curriculum for Muslim learners will be implemented in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao this June. This was apart from the effort to continue to allot resources to further train Muslim teachers. The curriculum was launched recently in Lamitan City, Basilan. The event was attended by... Read more
Published : Thursday May 24, 2012 | Category : National | Views : 3
By : Jun Pisco
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Published : Thursday May 24, 2012 | Category : National | Views : 4
By : Joel dela Torre
THE local garlic industry has been affected by the importation of the product from China, the Department of Agriculture said. According to Bureau of Plant Industry director Clarito Baron, garlic growers here are feeling the heat because of the low price of Chinas exports. “Isa yan sa dahilan... Read more
Published : Thursday May 24, 2012 | Category : National | Views : 4
By : Jun Pisco
SIX Brunei peace monitors left for the Philippines to join the 8th International Monitoring Team (IMT) deployed in Cotabato City since May 17, the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. The Brunei contingent, composed of five members of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and a member of the Royal Brunei... Read more
Published : Thursday May 24, 2012 | Category : National | Views : 4
YOUTH joblessness is almost back at its peak following the outbreak of the global economic crisis and is unlikely to ease until at least 2016, the International Labour Organization warned Tuesday. The ILO said nearly 75 million youths or 12.7 percent of people aged 15 to 24 will be out... Read more
