Prosecution in Corona trial mulls getting bank records of Chief Justice’s assets

MANILA, Philippines—The prosecution team on Wednesday said that they are looking into getting records from banks in order to determine if the assets contained in the accounts of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona were declared in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).

Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga said in an interview with reporters that “even bank deposits would be permitted” to determine if they were declared in the SALNs of Corona.

It’s not about the issue of ill-gotten wealth, Barzaga said referring to the impeachment court’s denial of the admission of evidence under the Article 2, Paragraph 2.4, alleging ill-gotten wealth.

“It’s about whether those bank deposits are declared in the SALN of Corona and if they are declared or not declared; does he have enough income to buy those properties?” Barzaga said.

Marikina Representative Romero Quimbo said in a separate interview with the media that “with the evidence today, it is very clear that the income as reported with the BIR is grossly disproportionate with his assets.”

In a statement released by the prosecution, they said that Corona had a net income of P370,756.69 in 2006, P355,890.40 in 2007, P450,330.71 in 2008, P465,972.40 in 2009, and P481,178.25 in 2010. The figures were based on the ITRs presented by Henares.

Quimbo said that according to his SALN, “he had no other income but his compensation from the SC” and that his wife, Cristina, began to file her ITRs only in 2007.

Quimbo had earlier said that Cristina managed to buy a property in La Vista subdivision in Quezon City worth P11 million in 2003 despite not having any documented income records with the BIR. Cristina had only acquired her Tax Identification Number (TIN) in 2003, which was in connection with the property purchase, Henares said in her testimony.

Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara cited a particular principle in law that “if you showed that you have many properties but cannot justify or show that you can afford it, there is a presumption that (those properties are) ill-gotten wealth.

Angara said in the statement that “Corona’s total income since 2002 would not be enough for him to purchase his condominium unit at the Bellagio Tower in Taguig City.”

He added that even if Corona and his wife’s incomes were put together, it would still not be enough to buy the P14-million unit.

“The most that he earned in 10 years as a magistrate was P5 million and it is a fraction of what he spent for the condominium units that he and his wife bought,” Quimbo said in the statement.

In response to a question on whether the impeachment court was too strict, Quimbo replied that they think it was liberal, “because the issue here is the truth; is our Chief Justice still morally fit to be the head of the judiciary?”