Aquino publicly acknowledges Chief Justice Corona for first time

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on Wednesday publicly acknowledged Renato Corona as the Philippines’ Chief Justice for the first time. Before reading a prayer during the Red Mass held at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Aquino recognized the presence of Vice President Jejomar Binay and “Chief Justice Renato Corona." Corona, whose appointment as Chief Justice was marked by controversy, approached Aquino when the latter descended from the lectern and sat beside Binay on the front row. “I approached him and told him that ‘Peace be unto you, Mr President.’ He actually said nothing but smiled and pressed my hand," Corona told reporters after the mass. Corona said he wanted to greet the President Aquino during the Mass, but the latter came in late and decided to sit near the door to avoid disrupting the ceremony. During the ceremony’s "kiss of peace", Corona, who was on the left side of the aisle, went to the right side and greeted officials seated in the area, thinking that Aquino was also seated there. “Nung ‘peace be with you’ akala ko nakaupo siya sa kabila e andun na ako sa dulo hindi ko pa rin siya nakikita kaya bumalik na ako dito. Siya talaga ang gusto ko sabihan ng ‘peace be with you’," he said. (During the "peace rite" part, I thought he was seated on the other side, but I had already greeted all those seated on the front row without seeing him. So I returned to my seat. I really want to tell him ‘peace be with you’.) The Chief Justice was elated that the President acknowledged his presence. “Sino ba naman ang hindi matutuwa na i-acknowledge ka publicly ng Presidente. Hindi naman kailangan maging Chief Justice para matuwa na nakilala na ako di ba," he said. (Who will not be happy being acknowledged publicly by no less than the President. I don’t need to be a Chief Justice to be happy that I was recognized.) During his inaugural speech last June 30, Mr. Aquino failed to acknowledge the presence of Corona. He instead addressed the "justices of the Supreme Court" at the start of his address. Aquino had picked Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, instead of Corona, to swear him in as the 15th Philippine president. The President questioned Corona’s appointment since it was made during a period when a constitutional ban on appointments was in effect. However, the SC ruled that appointment to the chief justice post is exempt from the ban. Asked if the Mass was some sort of reconciliation between him and President Aquino, Corona said “reconciliation is the wrong word because we never fought anyway. I would dispute that we ever fought." He said he is looking forward to a better relationship not only with the President but among the three branches of the government “pero healthy din naman yung may konting tension (it is also healthy to have sort of a tension)." - RJAB Jr./LBG, GMANews.TV