House panel eyes Corona condo’s realty firm

Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr. (left) INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The leader of the 11-member House prosecution team on Monday said that summoning officials of Megaworld Corp. to the Senate trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona was in the cards.

“It’s possible,” Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr. said in a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer a week before the start of the impeachment trial of Corona for alleged corruption, betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Megaworld, owned by Andrew Tan, would be asked about the purported sale of a penthouse unit at its high-rise luxury condominium, The Bellagio, at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

Tupas and other prosecution members presented last week documents purporting to show the sale of a 303.5-square-meter unit with three parking slots at The Bellagio in December 2009, six months before Corona’s appointment as Chief Justice by outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Megaworld has refused to either confirm or deny the reported sale to Corona, said to be for a bargain at P14 million.

The penthouse and parking slots were said to be worth more than P26 million based on then prevailing prices.

In a statement, investor relations officer John Hao of Megaworld stressed that the publicly listed firm, which also runs the plush Resorts World casino entertainment complex through its parent firm Alliance Global, was committed to keep its client dealings confidential.

Aside from The Bellagio penthouse, the House prosecutors also said Corona owned a two-bedroom, 113.02-square-meter condo unit at Bonifacio Ridge; another condominium unit in Makati City; and a house and lot in Quezon City.

Serafin Cuevas, counsel for Corona, said last week his client was prepared to disprove claims that he had illicitly acquired properties.

The retired Supreme Court associate justice said the Bellagio unit was acquired by Corona using “hard-earned money” and that it was still being amortized.

Cuevas has slammed the House prosecutors for resorting to “trial by publicity.” He said this showed that the evidence against Corona was weak.

“They are really trying to demonize the Chief Justice,” Cuevas said.

Corona’s legal team has announced it would ask the Senate to prohibit the congressmen from further discussing to the public the supposed evidence against the Chief Justice, according to Cuevas.

He pointed out that the Senate rules banned senators, House prosecutors and the defendant from making any comment on the case, or discussing it in public.