MANILA, Philippines – The Land Registration Authority (LRA) reported a total of 45 properties registered under the name of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, some family members and other personalities.
In a letter to Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr, head of the prosecution team in the Corona impeachment, dated Jan. 10, 2012, LRA administrator Eulalio Diaz III listed at least 13 properties “in the name spouses Cristina Corona and Renato Corona,” and another 12 in the name of the wife alone.
Only two, both in Quezon City, were listed in the name of the Chief Justice.
Others – either transfer certificates of title (TCTs) or condominium certificates of title (CCTs) – were listed in the name of Corona’s daughter Ma. Carla Corona-Castillo and husband, Constantino Castillo III, and other personalities.
The LRA listed 23 properties in Quezon City, 12 in Taguig City, 8 in Marikina City, one in Paranaque/Pasay City and another one on Makati City.
One title in Quezon City was registered in the name of its former Mayor Ismael Mathay Jr.
Quezon Representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada III, spokesman of the prosecution team, said the information was relevant to the impeachment case of Corona, citing news reports that he only declared three real estate properties when he filed his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALN in 2002.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) reported over the weekend that in 2002, Corona, who was then presidential adviser and chief of staff, declared owning three real estate properties in Quezon City worth P10 million.
The prosecution team then requested the Senate on Thursday to subpoena all pertinent documents pertaining to the properties listed by the LRA.
But Tanada quickly clarified that mere ownership of these properties would not necessarily mean that Corona was guilty of any irregularity.
“Ownership of these titles doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s automatically guilty. Unang una, kailangang makita kung nasa SLAN nya yan. Kunan nandyan, the most important question that we have to prove is whether his income provides him enough resources to purchase these properties,” he said over the phone.
“He [Corona] should tell the truth. He has to come out and tell the truth,” Tanada added.