OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE PROVINCE OF ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY     RTC EMPLOYEES, JUDGE SHOW SUPPORT FOR CJ CORONA   On the first day of the impeachment trail of the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice, Renato Corona, Monday, January 16, employees of judges of the different Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) of the country showed their utmost support and sympathy for their superior by wearing black clothes. In RTC-Branch 24 situated in the municipality of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, court employees and the RTC judge, also adhered to the call of their fellow court employees and judges from all over the Philippines to wear black on the said day. Acting Judge, Josefino Bael, of RTC-Branch 24, disclosed during an exclusive interview that he received an information from his colleagues to show support for Corona by wearing black on the occasion of the first day of the impeach trial their Chief Justice at the Senate. According to Bael, the message to show support for Corona was not compulsory and the court employees and judges were just asked to adhere with willingness and personal discretions. “I received information from my colleagues to show support to our Chief Justice and what we are doing now is adhering to their call but this is not compulsory and we show support willingly according to our own individual discretions”, said Bael. Bael also added that he personally showed the public his support to CJ Corona because he believes that he has a commitment to respect and show sympathy to his superior. Being in the military for several years, he (Bael) also said that he always value his loyalty to his boss and commander that is why he never hesitated to show his Chief Justice full support and sympathy. “Like in the military, I always see to it that I have my loyalty to my commander. This is the reason why I am fully showing my sympathy and support to my Chief Justice”, added Bael. It was also disclosed by the RTC Judge that whatever the result of the impeachment trial, he will abide by it and if Corona will be totally impeached, he will take it with full acceptance and respect the decision of the impeachment court. “If CJ Corona wins it, then it’s considered a victory for his supporters and if he (Corona) will not make it and will be impeached, then with full acceptance I will respect the decision of the impeachment court and our responsibilities and duties will continue with a new Chief Justice who will also gain my support and sympathy because he or she is already my superior”, shared Bael. However, Bael also clarified that he has no personal strings attached to the Chief Justice and that he is only supporting him because he (Corona) is his superior. “If the Chief justice right now is not Corona, I would still show my support because I am doing this mainly because the Chief justice is my superior and I respect whoever my superior is”, Bael explained. I the afternoon of the said day, Bael and other court employees filed a half-day leave as a gesture of support to Corona on the first day of his impeachment trial. After declaring a postponement on the scheduled court hearing on the said afternoon, Bael and the RTCs employees closed their office and packed their things up and asked their clients to come back the following day. “We asked our clients to consider our gesture this time and requested them to transact with us tomorrow because things will go back to normal after this day. As of now, I’m off to watch the first blows of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Corona on television”, Bael stressed. As of PRESS time, the whole country is closely watching and monitoring the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona with the hope that the rule of law will be observed and due process will take its way until the end of the said trial.