Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino today voted YES to House efforts to oust Chief Justice Renato Corona but warned against the possible creation of an “Aquino Court”.

“The blind support of Chief Justice Renato Corona to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and by extension to the crimes of the latter against the people warrants an impeachment case on the basis of betrayal of public trust. But I stress my vote for Corona’s impeachment with a caveat against Palace machinations to establish an Aquino court,” Palatino said.

“There is an urgent need to transform a judiciary system that historically sided with the elite. Ousting Chief Justice Corona opens up a space for this transformation process,” Palatino said in response to Chief Justice Corona who earlier said that the impeachment complaint against him is part of a plot to destabilize the judiciary.

“This impeachment case strongly reminds public servants to keep their fidelity to their mandated oath to always put above all else the rights and welfare of the people. This reminder also applies to President Aquino and his allies who seemingly want to exploit the situation by repeating, instead of traversing, the crimes of Arroyo. The next Chief Justice should be pro-people, not pro-Aquino,” Palatino said.

Palatino said that despite the claims of social change touted by the Aquino administration, the policies it espouses remains within the framework of the past Arroyo regime.

The youth solon cited lack of genuine agrarian reform, ineffective poverty measures, continuing government neglect of basic social services and state violence against legitimate protests.

Palatino said that the resemblance of the Aquino and Arroyo administrations in terms of social policies necessitates the people to be extremely vigilant in the development and outcome of the impeachment proceedings. ###