In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 15 October 1948
- Died
- 29 April 2016
- Birthplace
- Manila, Philippines
- Country
- Philippines
- Nationality
- Filipino
- Known for
- Becoming the first Philippine chief justice removed from office by an impeachment conviction
- Associate justice
- 2002–2010
- Chief justice
- 12 May 2010–29 May 2012
- Impeachment verdict
- 20 guilty · 3 not guilty
- Article decided
- Article II · SALN disclosure
Why this life matters
Corona’s removal demonstrated the constitutional force of impeachment while exposing enduring disagreement about the line between accountability and political pressure on the judiciary.
Timeline
Key moments
Served at the centre of the presidency
Worked as presidential chief of staff and acting executive secretary under Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Joined the Supreme Court
Was appointed associate justice after service in the executive branch.
Became chief justice
Took office on 12 May, shortly before the end of the Arroyo presidency.
Impeached by the House
The House of Representatives approved articles of impeachment in December.
Convicted and removed
Twenty senator-judges found him guilty under Article II over disclosure in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.
Supreme Court resolved benefit claims
The Court granted retirement and survivorship benefits while leaving the Senate’s final impeachment judgment intact.
From executive legal service to the Supreme Court
Renato Corona trained in law and public administration before holding senior legal and management roles in government. Under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo he served as chief of staff and acting executive secretary, then joined the Supreme Court as an associate justice in 2002.
Arroyo appointed him chief justice in May 2010. The timing, near the end of her term, made the appointment part of a larger conflict over presidential appointment power and shaped perceptions of the Court under the incoming administration of Benigno Aquino III.
The first removal of a chief justice by impeachment
The House impeached Corona in December 2011 and the Senate opened a nationally televised trial in January 2012. Arguments over his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth became the decisive issue, alongside broader claims about judicial independence and executive influence.
On 29 May, twenty senators voted to convict under Article II and three voted to acquit. The verdict removed Corona from office. It was a binding constitutional judgment by the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, distinct from any criminal or civil case.
Accountability, due process and the afterlife of the case
Separate charges were still unresolved when Corona died in 2016 and were dismissed because of his death. That means the impeachment conviction should not be described as a criminal conviction or used to imply judicial findings that were never made.
In 2021 the Supreme Court granted retirement and survivorship benefits, reasoning that impeachment removal did not by itself forfeit benefits absent a separate judicial finding of liability. The decision preserved the verdict while showing how many legal questions the trial had left open.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Renato Corona
- Who was Renato Corona?
- Renato Corona was a twenty-third Chief Justice of the Philippines. Corona’s removal demonstrated the constitutional force of impeachment while exposing enduring disagreement about the line between accountability and political pressure on the judiciary.
- What is Renato Corona best known for?
- Renato Corona is best known for becoming the first Philippine chief justice removed from office by an impeachment conviction.
- When and where was Renato Corona born?
- Renato Corona was born on 15 October 1948 in Manila, Philippines.
- When did Renato Corona die?
- Renato Corona died on 29 April 2016.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 9 September 2026.
