Corona has only 24, not 45 properties

MANILA, Philippines—Chief Justice Renato Corona has 24 properties and not 45 as earlier reported in the media, the head of the prosecution team admitted on Thursday.

Chief prosecutor and Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr. made this admission when Senator Francis Escudero inquired about the number of properties allegedly owned by Corona that the prosecution intends to present in the Senate acting as an impeachment court.

Because based on his own count, Escudero said the prosecution has only presented a total of 24 titles—18 properties and six parking lots—out of the 45 properties that the prosecution had released to the media.

“My count is 18 properties, both in his name and the name of his spouse, in the name of his children, plus six parking lots, that makes it 24. If I will include the parking lots as properties, you announced to the media and here I guess in the impeachment court as well, that it’s 45, do I take it that you’re presenting 21 more titles?” asked Escudero.

But Tupas said no, saying the list of 45 properties did not come from the prosecution but from the Land Registration Authority.

“Do I take it you will not even reach 45?” asked Escudero.

“We will not reach 45 and we just want to put in record, your honor, that the 45 did not come from the prosecution,” said Tupas.

Even on Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada’s queries, Tupas insisted that the list did not come from them and that they did not release it to the media.

“We did not release it to the media. We filed it with the impeachment tribunal,” said the chief prosecutor.

“Are you making it appear that out of the 45 properties of Chief Justice Corona, only 21 belong to Corona?” asked Estrada to which Tupas answered, “Around 24.”

Tupas explained tha tout of the 45 properties, it appeared that some of them were already cancelled or sold to other owners.

“Noong lumalabas iyan sa diyaryo, pinapalabas niyo na maraming ari-arian si Chief Justice Corona. When in fact, 21 lang. Tama po ba?” said Estrada.

“Marami din po ang 24 o 21. Ang alam po namin ay 24 ngayon,” Tupas said.