Manila: The House of Representatives' panel prosecuting Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona urged the Senate to proceed with the impeachment as it refused the top magistrate's appeal to junk the move to unseat him.

In a 37-page document submitted to the Senate impeachment tribunal in reply to an appeal by Corona, the House prosecution team, comprised of Congressmen Niel Tupas Junior, Reynaldo Umali, Raul Daza, Neri Colminaries and Joseph Emilio Abaya, denied the argument that the case "is nothing but a scheme instigated by President Benigno Aquino III and his Liberal Party so he can subjugate the Supreme Court".

"The impeachment complaint was filed, and shall be prosecuted, by the Filipino people, representatives in Congress," the document said.

In his appeal, Corona claimed his impeachment threatened the independence of the Judiciary.

But the prosecution panel said otherwise.

"Corona is not the Judiciary and the articles of impeachment are levelled against him and him alone," they wrote.

Influence

"This impeachment aims to remove him from office and free the Supreme Court from the influence of former president Gloria Arroyo, former first gentleman Miguel Arroyo, and their cabal.

"His removal will not weaken the Supreme Court nor the Judiciary.

"Rather, it will strengthen and invigorate the institution by ousting Arroyo's single biggest coddler in the Supreme Court, thereby restoring the people's faith in it."

Corona also accused President Aquino of getting back at him for the Supreme Court's vote in favour of the 4,000 farmers who are tenants of the Hacienda Luisita, a sprawling land holding owned by the Aquino-Cojuangco family in Central Luzon's Tarlac.

With unprecedented speed, 188 out of 285 house members — mostly from Aquino's dominant Liberal Party — voted to impeach Corona on December 12.

Last obstacle

Observers said Corona and the Supreme Court were the last obstacle blocking Aquino from exercising total domination over all three branches of government — the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary.

Opponents of Corona said he was appointed by embattled former president Arroyo and is thus beholden to her.

Corona is being impeached for betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution and graft and corruption.