AN ASSOCIATE Justice of the Supreme Court may intimidate anybody. But this humble man welcomed his interviewer with a sweet smile and took the initiative to break the ice.
“I used to be like you. I used to interview people too,” he said. And truly, his words were very powerful because these mere words immediately created a very relaxed atmosphere between a very distinguished and respected figure and a tense interviewer.
Thomasian Renato Antonio Coronado Corona was appointed Associate Justice last April 12. After working for the government as the head of the Malacañang Legal Office from 1992 to 1995, deputy executive secretary from 1996 to 1998, chief presidential legal counsel in 1998, chief of staff of the Office of the Vice President of the Philippines in 2000, presidential spokesman and executive secretary of the Office of the President in 2001, and the presidential chief of staff from 2001 to 2002, Corona finally rose to the Supreme Court to occupy the seat vacated by Justice Bernardo Pardo, another Thomasian.
Born to Juan and Eugenia Corona on Oct 15, 1948 in Tanauan, Batangas, Rene grew up in a family of lawyers. He was greatly influenced by his environment that he decided to become a lawyer as well. According to Corona, he and his two older brothers, Arturo and Ruben, were “necessarily influenced” to take up law.
“Imagine from the time we were kids, all we heard during table discussions were legal issues. “Tuloy, ganito ako ngayon,” he said.
Corona’s most compelling reason why he studied law was his father, his first guide through the principles of law, especially in the area of taxation. Eventually, Corona emulated his father by venturing the same specialized field.
Another reason was former justice of the Court of Appeals Romero Diaz, their dean in the Ateneo Law school, whom Corona fondly remembers as the one who always gives them inspiring words. He even used Diaz’s words in his message during a symposium to aspiring and fellow lawyers:
“In this world, there are many kinds of evil people; the most is the man who knows the law but has no conscience for he holds in his hands the power to destroy the very society which he pledged to serve.”
But he has inspiring words of his own too, which he shares to his fellow lawyers whenever he speaks in gatherings.
“A lawyer, more than anybody else, should be a man of conscience and spirituality because he is answerable not only to his fellowmen and to his country but also to God and himself.”
Lifetime student
Despite his numerous awards and honors, the newly-appointed associate justice believes that he does not know everything. Even with his high profile, he still comes to school.
“You will always find me enrolled in one course or another, whether a degree or a non-degree. Kasi I really love studying. I love the academic community,” Corona said.
“Others are asking, you’re already a justice in the Supreme Court yet you’re still studying? Sabi ko, well there are still things that I can learn. It’s not because I’m a justice of the Supreme Court that I already know everything,” he continued.
At present, Justice Corona is pursuing his doctorate degree in law in the Pontifical University.
“I decided to go to UST because it is the only school that offers a post graduate degree in law,” he said.
Since his grade school years in Ateneo, he has always been an honor student. But aside from concentrating on his academics, he also participated in extra-curricular activities. He was the editor in chief of The Guidon, the college publication of Ateneo. He was also elected Secretary-General of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines from 1968 to 1970. He was also captain to the champion debating team of the Ateneo. He was the president of Order of Utopia Fraternity when he finished his Bachelor of laws degree in the Ateneo Law School, where he graduated at the top of his class.
His Law degree did not stop him from pursuing a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School in 1982, immediately after capping his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Ateneo.
Although Corona loves studying and admits that he is an academician at heart, he adamantly emphasized that he was never a nerd. He was able to juggle fun and studies at the same time.
“I was never a nerd because when I was in high school, I had my fair share of scrapes. I used to go out once in a while, I used to smoke and drink without my father knowing it. I used to violate school rules. I was a normal teenager,” he said.
Despite the regularities of a teenager, Corona always had an ambition. And he never lets it get in the way. He was very focused.
When it’s time to study, no barkada. No one can distract me. Naka-lock ako sa library or sa room ko,” he said.
He imposed on himself the fine sense of discipline and time management that made him able to face his responsibilities as a student, teacher and lawyer, all at the same time. He was handling cases during the day, teaching in law school at night, and taking his MBA in the Ateneo on weekends.
As a true advocate of learning, he invites his nieces and nephews who are studying Information Technology to his home on weekends for lunch or dinner to talk about their course, which his generation was not entitled to.
“I don’t agree when they say that you cannot learn from younger people. I learned so much on IT from them. And for me, that’s education, because I am learning something that I never knew before,” he said.
The associate justice
Corona faced months of anticipation when the vacant seat in the Supreme Court was narrowed down between him and Justice Antonio Carpio.
“I was happy and anxious at the same time. Kinakabahan din ako kahit papaano. Anything can happen,” he said.
Besides receiving more caseloads, another change that he initially faced after taking this position was his social life. He was suddenly getting numerous invitations from various individuals and groups for different occasions. But he only accepted speaking engagements from well-credited groups in order to avoid possible and unintentional misconceptions in court.
“Some of them are just trying to ask a favor from me. That is why I am more careful in accepting (invitations) now,” he said.
Corona has made no future plans for the next 17 years—the exact duration of his term—except of course, when derailed by some unexpected twists of fate, say another appointment as Chief Justice.
“Of course, who doesn’t want to be Chief Justice di ba? If I am still in good health after 17 years—I am 53 years old na—and they (the government) still think me fit for the post, why not?”
But he however confessed not aspiring for the position.
“It’s just a matter of destiny —God’s will kung baga. It’s something that one doesn’t plan for because it just comes. Actually with the position I have now, I think I have already reached the peak of my career, but who knows?” he remarked.
At home
Now that his kids—Carla, Francis and Cherrie are all grown ups, with Carla having her own family and the two others, working in the United States, it is just him, his wife, Cristina and their six dogs—two German shepherds, three Labrador retrievers, and the president’s “sleek” dog at home.
“Iyon ang mga baby namin (dogs). They stay inside the house. When we’re watching TV, they’ll just sleep and lie on the floor,” he said.
He spends his spare time either watching a movie with his wife, or taking their dogs for a walk or for a bath—an event he said that requires the entire household, for the dogs are “blessedly generous” in size.
According to Corona, if he would be given a free day, he will spend that whole day with his wife and their “babies.”
