MANILA, Philippines – Chief Justice Renato Corona owns two more peso accounts with the Philippine Savings Bank amounting to more than P24 million, an official of the bank disclosed on Thursday.
Testifying before the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, PSBank president Pascual Garcia III said that Corona opened a peso time deposit with account number 089121023848 on June 29, 2011 with an initial deposit of P17 million.
But Garcia said the account was closed on Dec.12, 2011 or just six months after it was opened.
Senator Sergio Osmena III, who was questioning the witness, noted that the account was closed on the date Corona was impeached at the House of Representatives.
Chief prosecutor and Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr. confirmed this on the floor.
Garcia said Corona also opened another peso time deposit with account number 089-121021444 on July 23, 2010 with an initial deposit of P7,370,438.65. It was closed on Sept. 1, 2010 or just more than two months from the opening date.
Before this, PSBank manager, Anabelle Tiongson, told the Senate that Corona’s account number 089-12101593 which was opened on Dec. 22, 2009 with an initial deposit of P8,500,000 was also closed on Dec. 12, 2011.
It has a zero balance in 2011 but an ending balance of P P12, 580,316.56 as of Dec. 31, 2010.
Another peso time deposit with account number 089-121021681 in the name of Corona, was opened on Sept 1, 2007 with an initial deposit of P7,090,099.45, but was also closed on Dec. 12, 2011.
This account has an ending balance of P7,148,238.83 in 2010 but zero balance in 2011.
Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada stood up and noted that all three accounts in the name of Corona were all closed on Dec. 12, 2011, the day the Chief Justice was impeached by the House of Representatives.