Corona withdraws request for retirement pay

Dismissed Chief Justice Renato Corona. Wikipedia photo

Manila, Philippines – No retirement pay, okay.

Dismissed Chief Justice Renato Corona sent a letter to the Supreme Court (SC) en banc dated Tuesday, April 8, stating that he was already abandoning his claim for retirement pay.

According to lawyers with knowledge on the issue, Corona’s retirement benefits would amount to a lump sum of P20 million.

It will be recalled that in the middle of 2013, Corona sent a letter to the Court, asking for the release of his retirement pay.

His request drew criticisms from sectors that pushed for his impeachment, saying that the former magistrate did not retire but was removed from the office.

Corona then defended his rights to claim retirement benefits despite of his impeachment.

The matter should have been discussed as early as December last year, but the deliberations were postponed a few times.

Corona was dismissed in 2012 after he was found guilty of violating the Constitution for supposed undeclared wealth in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). He is facing perjury charges for the undeclared wealth in his SALNs as well as tax evasion charges  before the Court of Tax Appeals.

He is currently out on bail.

With Corona’s withdrawal, insiders believe that the case is now moot.

The High Court will likely discuss the matter in its next en banc session on Tuesday, April 22, a reliable source said.

 With reports from Rappler