No problem, Corona says of Noynoy’s oath-taking plan

(Update 2 - 10 22 p.m.) Chief Justice Renato Corona sees no problem with Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III, who has opposed Corona’s appointment, taking his oath as president of the Philippines before a barangay (village) captain. “I have no problem with that. That is the prerogative of the president," Corona said at a press briefing shortly after taking his oath on Monday. Aquino, who continues to lead partial tallies for president, said last week that he would rather be sworn in by a Tarlac City barangay captain rather than by Corona, whose appointment by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is wrapped in controversy. Corona, a former chief of staff and spokesman of President Arroyo, replaced Reynato Puno, who hung his robes last Friday, three days before he turned 70, the mandatory retirement age for justices. Puno has urged Aquino to honor Corona’s appointment, saying that defying the highest official in the judiciary could lead to a constitutional crisis. Corona's oath-taking in Malacañang, which was closed to the media, was witnessed by his wife Cristina, children and grandchildren, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza, Justice Secretary Alberto Agra, and his chief of staff, lawyer Gorgonio Elarmo Jr.
Not yet final Aquino’s camp, however, said Aquino’s decision to defy Corona is not yet final, and that the would-be president would take the needed steps to avert a constitutional crisis. "Hindi pa final ang decision ni Senator Aquino diyan. Pero what is clear under our Constitution, di necessarily Chief Justice ng Supreme Court ang maga-administer ng oath," said Rep. Lorenzo “Erin" Tañada III, the spokesman of the Liberal Party, in an interview on dwIZ radio. (Aquino has not made a final decision on who will administer his oath. But what is clear under our Constitution is that it is not necessarily the Chief Justice who should administer the oath.) Ban on appointments Aquino had staunchly opposed the Supreme Court's decision allowing President Arroyo to appoint Puno’s successor. The Charter restricts the incumbent president from making appointments two months before the elections until he or she bows out of office. Applied this year, the ban takes effect on March 10 to June 30. However, the Supreme Court ruled that appointments to the high tribunal are exempt from the ban. At his press briefing on Monday, Corona stood by his independence from President Arroyo, adding that his loyalty lies with the Constitution. "You have to wait. Don't judge me now," Corona told his critics as he appealed to them to give him a chance to prove that the Court will be independent under his watch. Working relationship He said his relationship with the President has been a working relationship and not a personal or social one. "They (critics) probably don’t realize that my relationship with her has been a working relationship, it has never been a personal or a social relationship. There are some lawyers who are even closer, much closer than I am and I was to her," Corona said. He, however, did not answer categorically when asked if he would inhibit himself from hearing cases involving President Arroyo. "You’re asking me to express my opinion on a case which has never even been filed yet. So I therefore decline to answer that question." - KBK, GMANews.TV