ASSOCIATION of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP) chairperson Sister Mary John Mananzan, who has been a truth and justice advocate since the dark days of martial rule, yesterday said impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona should already resign, or at least go on leave, as he has lost the moral ascendancy to continue occupying his position.

“The main issue here is trust. Does he still enjoy the trust reposed on him as chief justice? I believe people would admire him if he already resigns from his post, or at least go on a leave of absence,” Mananzan declared.

She made this call during an interview on television network NBN 4, during a break in the live coverage of the impeachment trial this afternoon.

Mananzan also deplored the continuing legal maneuverings and the tendency of the defense lawyers of Corona to resort to legal technicalities, a fact that has not been lost on those who keenly follow the ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate. “What else do we need? The amounts in the peso accounts of Chief Justice Corona alone are not enough evidence?”

“What we just want is to get at the truth. So much time has been wasted on debates on legal technicalities, on whether or not this is allowed or that is not allowed. All parties, the prosecution, the defense, the senator-judges, all say that they want to get at the truth, but the trial has been mired for weeks in hours and hours of debates on what is allowed and not allowed by the rules,” Mananzan complained.

The activist nun, responding to what has already been pointed out by Corona’s lawyers that due process and the rule of law must be followed, retorted what exists in the country now is a legal system, whereas what it needs is a justice system that would make those who break the law, no matter how powerful, be held accountable.

She said that the distinction is that in a legal system like what the country has at present, those in power can use the law in their favor.

When asked whether she and her group are in favor of people power, Mananzan did not hesitate to respond in the affirmative, saying that they are willing to resort to people power if only to express their sentiments and emphasize that Corona does not deserve to remain as chief justice.