Aquino: Impeach move vs Chief Justice untimely

(Updated 2:15 p.m.) President Benigno Aquino III is not convinced the time is ripe for filing an impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona, just a couple of days after the Supreme Court had stricken down as unconstitutional Aquino’s Executive Order 1 creating the Truth Commission. Speaking before a barangay assembly in Tarlac City, Aquino himself said over the weekend that impeachment moves against Corona would be a waste of time. “Meron tayong anim na taon gawin yung ating dapat gawin (My administration has six years to get things done)," Aquino said. “Yung paglilitis, sabi na nga ng Supreme Court, umaabot ng anim na taon. Kung lalagyan pa natin yan ng intramurals, yung impeachment, mada-“divert" yung atensyon natin, yung focus natin, ang daming lost opportunities (The Supreme Court has said that litigation can take six years or more. If we undertake intramurals like impeachment, our attention and focus would be diverted resulting in much lost opportunities)," the President explained. He said that instead of focusing attention on an impeachment case, it would be better to hold deeper and wider dialogues discussing the Truth Commission. The President said his legal team is already studying how to convince the Supreme Court to reverse its ruling declaring the Truth Commission unconstitutional. Aquino had earlier been reported to have told his allies not to focus too much on impeachment and explore instead “dialogue within the bounds of law" in order to “find out what happened in the last nine-and-a-half years under [former President Gloria Macapagal-] Arroyo."
Aquino led the village assembly in Barangay Central, one of four villages inside Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac, where he is a registered voter. Simultaneously nationwide, some 42,000 barangays were also holding similar assemblies. Aquino challenged all barangay officials elected in the recent village elections to espouse “transparency, accountability, and turn their backs on corruption." He also took time aside to again belie reports the Balikatan joint military exercises would be held in Hacienda Luisita. — With a report by Claire Delfin/VS/KBK, GMANews.TV