Defense mulls filing complaint on release of Corona bank accounts

MANILA, Philippines—The defense team in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona said it is studying the filing of complaints for violation of the bank secrecy law against those who released details on his bank accounts.

“Ultimately it is him (Corona) who will decide if he would like to take action based on the provision of the law,” lawyer Tranquil Salvador III, a spokesman for the defense, said in an ambush interview on Monday.

Salvador said that he could not say conclusively if there was a violation but said that “as an outsider looking at the situation or looking at the provision of the law, it is apparent, parang meron nga po (there is a violation already).”

“We are not admitting at this time that those are the bank accounts,” Salvador said. But if there had been any disclosure of bank account details without Corona’s consent, then it’s a violation of his rights because the impeachment court has not yet given an order, he added.

Lawyer Karen Jimeno, also a spokesperson for the defense team, said in an earlier interview said that if they decide to file complaints for violation of the bank secrecy law, they would do it in a regular court and not in the impeachment court so as to no longer delay the proceedings.