The conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona was never a simple matter of replacing an ordinary high government official. The chief justice of the Supreme Court is head of what is supposed to be a co-equal branch of Malacanang Palace and Congress and his removal consolidated power in the hands of one man, President Noynoy Aquino.

Aquino's successful ouster of Corona means that the President now has absolute control not only over his own immensely powerful department but over both House of Congress, as well. Needless to say, the soon-to-be-headless judiciary is now firmly under the presidential thumb.

And all that power now in Aquino's hands is what scares me most of all.

There is certainly going to be rejoicing amongst those who assembled the immense forces deployed against Corona. Those who supported the convicted chief justice who dared to go against the palace-created juggernaut, however, should not bow their heads in shame, despite their defeat.

Even if he lost so completely in the Senate, Corona and his allies can take comfort in leading a much-needed crusade for transparency in government that, ironically, claimed the chief justice as its first prominent victim. Whether or not Corona's tormentors will apply the same standard of complete and transparent disclosure of their own assets on themselves, however, is another thing altogether.

But the people who have witnessed the Corona impeachment trial have now been made aware of just how important it is to adhere to both the letter and the spirit of the laws on disclosing their officials' wealth. Now that Corona has been convicted, no longer will the self-righteous people who called him a thief and liar be able to say that they are not on trial.

Now, everyone in government is expected to declare all assets painstakingly and completely. And until the corrupt find new ways to squirrel away their stolen wealth, every official should go under the same microscope used on Corona.

Distressingly, the instigators of Corona's removal have never gone far enough to require the same stringent standards of disclosure on themselves. Even Aquino, who publicly declared as a candidate that he would, on his own, disclose the contents of his personal bank accounts, has been quick to distance himself from that particular campaign promise.

It would be terribly optimistic to hope that the conviction of Corona would lead to a self-instigated housecleaning by the Aquino administration, with the end in view of shaming and removing all corrupt officials wherever they may be. The track record of this administration simply does not allow for that hope.

Yes, the Senate has handed down a verdict of guilty in the case of Corona by a wide majority. The consequences of the removal of Corona, if the Aquino administration's playbook is to be followed, should become apparent soon enough.

The first and most logical result of Corona's conviction is the appointment of a new chief justice of the Supreme Court more to the liking of President Noynoy Aquino. The naming of a new, palace-friendly chief magistrate will have very serious, far-reaching repercussions, as far as the disposition of several important pending cases before the tribunal is concerned.

These cases include the compensation that should be given to the President's family for the government's acquisition of Hacienda Luisita and the expansion of the powers of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao, to name just two. How the court, under its new chief, will now rule on cases that are being pleaded by Malacanang or the President before it, will make for very interesting watching.

The identity of Corona's replacement will surely be a key indicator of the new direction the court will take. If this new chief magistrate is Corona's longtime rival, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, then it is safe to say that all the fears about a high court that is subservient to Malacanang will have come true – and then some.

Carpio is widely believed to look with favor on the electoral protest filed by Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas, Aquino's 2010 running mate, against Vice President Jejomar Binay. If the Supreme Court under Carpio suddenly gives due course to Roxas' protest, then we will know just how far-reaching the campaign to remove Corona is.

Needless to say, the effect of Corona's removal on the rest of the Supreme Court, regardless of who is appointed as his replacement, is also considerable. As one incredibly cocky congressional ally of Aquino's said on the eve of the handing down of the Senate verdict, it will be a very brave justice who will now attempt to oppose the wishes of the administration.*