Senate asked to summon BIR chief, 9 others to testify in impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines–Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares and nine other personalities have been asked to testify at the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona on his income tax returns (ITR) and his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

In a six-page request for the issuance of subpoena filed Monday, the prosecution team also requested Jacinto-Henares to bring with her pertinent documents pertaining to the annual ITR filed by Corona and wife, Cristina (from 1992 to 2010); their daughter, Carla Corona-Castillo and the latter’s husband, Constantino Castillo III (from 2000 to 2010); and Corona’s two other children, Francis and Charina (from 2005 to 2010).

Aside from the BIR chief, the prosecutors also sought the appearance in the Senate of Supreme Court Clerk of Court Enriqueta Esguerra-Vidal along with the original and certified true copies of the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) of the Chief Justice from 2002 to 2010.

The prosecution team also requested the Senate acting as an impeachment court to subpoena the personnel officers of the Office of the President and Office the Vice President along with the original and certified true copies of Corona’s SALN from 1992 to 202 and 1998 to 2000, respectively.

The prosecutors likewise sought the testimonies of other personalities namely Giovanni Ng, finance director of the Megaworld Corporation; Aniceto Bisnar and Lourdes Reyes of the Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation; Grace Evangeline Manankil-Sta Ana and Nerissa Josef of the Community Innovations Inc; Rogelio Serafica, president of the Burgundy Realty Corporation; and Jaime Eloise Agbayani of the Camp John Hay Management Corp. all in relation to properties allegedly owned by the Chief Justice and his wife.

Corona admitted owning only 5 of 45 properties that were being linked to him by the prosecution.