Chief Justice Renato Corona
A civic group on Thursday challenged Chief Justice Renato Corona to produce his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) to show proof that he could afford to buy the pricey condominium that impeachment prosecutors claim he owned.
The Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership said Corona, who was impeached by the House of Representatives and is to go on trial at the Senate on
January 16, had failed to respond to its request for a copy of his latest SALN.
Corona’s failure to disclose his SALN is among the key charges used by the House justice committee in filing an impeachment complaint against him.
“We’re disappointed primarily because this is an opportunity that we’re giving him to show to the public that ‘Hey, I’m not hiding anything from you. I’m willing to show everything I have, and I’m innocent of the charges by my detractors’,” said Kaya Natin lead convenor Harvey Keh.
P14-M condo unit House prosecutors alleged in a press conference this week that Corona and his wife had purchased in 2009 a P14.5-million condo unit at the Megaworld Corp.’s Bellagio development at the Bonifacio Global City.
“If he (Corona) can afford the condo, he should show proof by disclosing his SALN,” Keh said.
The disclosure of the SALNs by the high court justices is very important because this would “send a strong signal to the public that they have nothing to hide, and are willing to be held accountable as public officials,” Keh said.
If the President down to the lowest government official is required to disclose their SALN, why can’t the justices? he said.
Kaya Natin requested the high court justices to disclose their SALNs in a formal letter filed with the Clerk of Court last December 19. It also sought their permission to upload their SALN on its website.
So far, only Associate Justices Antonio Carpio and Maria Lourdes Sereno have responded and furnished Kaya Natin with a summary of their SALNs.
Associate Justices Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro, Presbitero Velasco and Mariano del Castillo responded by saying that they were referring the matter to the Supreme Court en banc which is set to deliberate on the disclosure of the SALN by justices and judges.
Associate Justice Roberto Abad wrote a lengthy reply, explaining the legal ramifications of such a request, and the court’s guidelines on the release of such SALNs.
Declaration under oath
He said the Constitution requires public officers to submit a declaration under oath of their SALN, and nothing more. He said he has been complying with this by submitting his SALN to the Supreme Court through the Clerk of Court.
The public’s right to know about the assets, liabilities and net worth of public officials, among others, is recognized by Republic Act No. 6713, but this is subject to limitations, Abad said.
All requests for the SALN have to be filed with the Clerk of Court, he said. Any request may, however, be denied if it’s traced to a litigant, lawyer, or any interested party, or if found to have been made without good faith and legitimate purpose except to fish for information, among other grounds, Abad said.
He said he had no objection to the release of his SALN, subject to the high court’s approval.
Keh, the director for youth leadership and social entrepreneurship of the Ateneo School of Government, said he hoped that the other justices would reply to Kaya Natin’s request by January 9. He said he would appeal to them again if they fail to do so by that date.