MANILA, Philippines - Chief Justice Renato Corona will return to the Philippines on Thursday but not because former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her husband, Mike, filed separate petitions before the Supreme Court(SC) questioning watch list orders(WLO) issued against them by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Supreme Court (SC) spokesman and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said Corona's return from San Francisco, California was scheduled long before the Arroyos filed the petition.

Marquez issued the clarification amid circulating text messages in the past 24 hours that Corona was "in a rush" to fly back to Manila so he may act on the Arroyo petitions' application for temporary restraining order (TRO).

Marquez said Corona's return had nothing to do with the filing of petitions by the Arroyo couple seeking the nullification of  the WLOs against them in connection with plunder and electoral sabotage charges pending before the DOJ.

"He will be back tomorrow, Nov. 10, because he will be receiving an award on Nov. 11 -- Asian Leadership Awards -- and he committed his attendance," Marquez said.

"CJ(Chief Justice) already told me when I saw him off to US at NAIA(Ninoy Aquino International Airport) last Nov. 4 na babalik siya sa Nov. 10," he added.

Corona went to the US to visit one of his children whose 1-year old daughter recently underwent an intestinal operation.

Asked to comment about the text messages, Marquez said: "Intriga lang yan, ayaw ko na sana sagutin but I had to, because you(reporters) asked."

Several text messages circulated hours after the filing of the Arroyo petitions with the high court, 12 justices of which are appointees of the ailing former chief executive, stating that Corona was returning either on Nov. 9 or 10, cut short his trip, so he may act on the Arroyo petitions.

The messages indicated that Corona supposedly decided to skip the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight in Las Vegas so he may favorably act on the Arroyos' plea for TRO.

Marquez, however, said Corona had no intention of watching the Pacquiao-Marquez fight.

Corona served 2 presidents

Corona served under former president Fidel Ramos as Assistant Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs and concurrent head of the Malacanan Legal Office. He was later promoted by Ramos to Deputy Executive Secretary, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Cabinet member.

However, it was his stint in the Arroyo administration as Presidential Chief of Staff, Presidential Spokesman and Acting Executive Secretary that has lingered more in the mindset of critics.

His appointment as Chief Justice by Mrs. Arroyo was criticized for being a "midnight appointment" prior to Mrs. Arroyo's stepping down from office last year, but the Arroyo administration defended his appointment stating that it was done to prevent a vacuum in the highest post in the judiciary. The Supreme Court allowed Mrs. Arroyo to appoint then retiring Chief Justice Reynato Puno's successor stating that the judiciary is not covered by the constitutional ban on appointments 2 months prior to an election.

Corona had maintained in several media interviews and speaking engagements that his is an independent court "the people can trust."

He asked the public to take time to read decisions handed down by the high tribunal to have a better appreciation of the bases of the rulings.

Arroyo petitions already assigned to justices-in-charge

Court spokesman Marquez made some clarifications on the procedures at the high court to prevent confusion on the treatment of the Arroyo petitions.

He bared that each of the 2 Arroyo petitions were already raffled to a justice-in-charge earlier today. These justices-in-charge are tasked to review the petitions and lead deliberations on these cases.

Under the Internal Rules of the Supreme Court, any case endorsed to the Court En Banc with an application for TRO may be acted upon by the Chief Justice upon recommendation of the justice-in-charge, subject to concurrence by the full court in its next En Banc session.

The high court is currently on a break and regular En Banc sessions resume on Tuesday.

In the case of the Arroyo petitions, the justices-in-charge may recommend to Corona the issuance of the temporary relief prior to Tuesday's En Banc Session, or, decide to throw the matter for the Court En Banc's consideration during the regular En Banc session.

The justices-in-charge or Court En Banc may also decide to consolidate the separate Arroyo petitions under Section 5 Rule 9 of the Internal Rules of the high tribunal which state that "[t]he Court may order the consolidation of cases involving common questions of law or of fact."