BIR chief’s documentary evidence enough to presume Corona’s ‘ill-gotten wealth’—prosecution spokesman

MANILA, Philippines – The prosecution team said on Wednesday the documentary evidence submitted by Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares are enough for the presumption of ill-gotten wealth.

Marikina City Representative Romero Quimbo, spokesman for the prosecution, said in a press conference that the income of Chief Justice Renato Corona could not support the assets that they owned.

It was clear that Corona had no other source of income aside from his job at the Supreme Court as associate justice and as Chief Justice, Quimbo said.

It was also clear that Corona’s wife, Cristina, had no source of income until 2007 although she was able to buy P11-million worth of property in 2003 at the La Vista subdivision in Quezon City based on tax records shown by Henares, Quimbo said.

Quimbo said that Corona was able to accumulate more than P20 million worth of assets, based on his SALN of 2010. There’s a very big disparity compared to his income, Quimbo said.

“When your assets are larger than your income, there is already a presumption that he has ill-gotten wealth,” Quimbo said, citing the Forfeiture Law.