MANILA:
The landmark impeachment trial of the
Philippines' top judge was expected to wrap up Monday, bringing down the
curtain on more than four months of divisive political drama that has gripped
the nation.
Members
of the 23-member Senate will rule on the fate of Supreme Court Chief Justice
Renato Corona after hearing final arguments from prosecutors and the defence. A
verdict will be handed down either Monday or Tuesday.
President
Benigno Aquino has said removing the chief justice is a crucial step to
cleaning up the government.
Corona,
63, is accused of protecting graft-tainted former president Gloria Arroyo from
prosecution. He is also accused of lacking integrity and of amassing a personal
fortune above the limits of his salary -- which he failed to declare as
required by the constitution.
Prosecutors
say his actions amounted to "culpable violation" of the constitution
and betrayal of public trust.
A
guilty verdict on any of the three charges would lead to his removal from
office and could see him face criminal prosecution.
"We
feel we have presented a very solid case against the chief justice," lead
prosecutor Niel Tupas told reporters Sunday.
"We
have covered everything and I think the senators have already made up their
minds."
Corona's
removal was sought by Aquino, who was elected to the presidency in 2010 on a
platform to end corruption he claimed reached pervasive levels during Arroyo's
term.
Aquino
has accused Arroyo of illegally appointing Corona as chief justice just before
she stepped down, allegedly to protect her from prosecution. Arroyo is now in
detention while separately being tried for vote rigging.
Corona
was impeached by Aquino's allies in the House of Representatives in December,
which then sent the complaint to the Senate for resolution.
Millions
of Filipinos have closely followed the trial, which began in January, and
various opinion surveys have indicated that Aquino enjoyed widespread public
support for going after a judge perceived to be corrupt.
Corona
however was backed by his peers in the judiciary amid warnings the president
may have violated constitutional provisions in his zeal to remove the chief
justice.
Rico
Quicho, a spokesman for Corona's defence panel, said Sunday that the chief
justice's dramatic appearance in court last week had been their best move.
Corona
appeared as the final witness in his defence and delivered a three-hour
testimony accusing Aquino of a conspiracy to oust him.
He
claimed his impeachment was the result of a personal vendetta by Aquino
following a landmark Supreme Court ruling to break up Hacienda Luisita, a giant
sugar estate owned by the president's clan.
That
court decision came shortly before Aquino's allies voted to impeach Corona.
Aquino
spokeswoman Abigail Valte said Sunday the trial was conducted "with
fairness, with due liberality to both sides".
-AFP/ac
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