Sister Flory Basa willing to testify in Corona trial

THE NUN’S STORY Sister Flory Basa looks outside the chapel of St. Joseph Convent in Cavite province where she is staying. The Franciscan nun is one of the original stockholders of Basa-Guidote Enterprise Inc. RICHARD REYES

GENERAL MARIANO ALVAREZ, Cavite—God willing, 90-year-old Sister Flory Basa on Thursday said she would testify in the impeachment trial of her nephew-in-law, Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“I have to wait what the Lord tells me. I have to consider my health,” Sister Flory said in the interview at the convent of the Franciscan Missionaries of  Mary here. “I’m not your typical 60 or 70 year old nun. I am 90. I tremble when I’m under stress.”

At the convent, Sister Flory moves around slowly. She does not use a cane or a walker, and wears neither a hearing aid nor eyeglasses. She does not take maintenance medicines, but goes for regular medical checkups to monitor her health.

Sister Flory is the aunt of Corona’s wife, Cristina, and the only surviving original stockholder of Basa-Guidote Enterprise Inc. (BGEI), a family-owned company that Corona identified as the real owner of the funds [P32.6 million] he withdrew from three peso-time deposit accounts on Dec. 12, 2011, the day he was impeached.

The amount was said to be the proceeds of the sale of the BGEI property on Legarda Street in Manila to the city government.

Corona also pointed to BGEI as the source of an P11-million cash advance he listed as a liability in his statement of assets liabilities and net worth in 2003 and 2004.

‘It’s up to God’

Sister Flory and the other BGEI shareholders had accused Cristina of withholding the books of the BGEI since the 1980s. Cristina’s mother, Asuncion, now deceased, was among the five original shareholders. Cristina’s father, lawyer Vicente Roco, also deceased, was BGEI’s former administrator.

In statements to the media, Corona said the original shareholders had been compensated and had no more reason to demand their share. Sister Flory denied this categorically.

“We have not received anything. Wala, wala (Nothing, nothing),” she said.

“That’s why I was surprised when Cristina said she owns the company when that is the legacy of my mother. If they sell that, siguro naman  they will compensate all of us. Since my other siblings are already dead, then their children should be compensated. I don’t think my mother will be happy. My mother told us to love each other.

“What we have is truth and justice, and between that is charity. We forgave them already (Coronas). I am praying for truth and justice. I always say truth and justice and charity. It is up to the Lord to speak to them, to do justice. Kinuha na nila (pera) (They got the money). What can we do? We cannot do anything. It is up to the Lord.”

But Sister Flory finds no need to demand an explanation from Cristina or her husband. “It is up to the Lord to speak to them,” she said.

“When he (Renato Corona) came into the family, we welcomed him. That’s why it’s painful for all of us,” the nun said. With Matikas Santos, INQUIRER.net

Originally posted at 06:49 pm | Thursday, March 08,  2012