Prosecutors not keen on using alleged Corona dollar desposits

MANILA, Philippines – Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales will first need to release a report in her investigation of the alleged $10 million deposits owned by Chief Justice Renato Corona for the prosecutors to be able to use the case in the impeachment trial, spokespersons of the prosecution team said on Friday.

House deputy speaker and Quezon Representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III said that using the issue on the dollar accounts could only be done after Morales comes up with the report and the Supreme Court terminates its temporary restraining order (TRO) on opening the alleged dollar accounts.

With the high tribunal’s hearing on the issue scheduled sometime during the third week of June, Tañada said that they might not be able to use the information in the impeachment trial unless the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, extends its sessions for the trial.

“It seems that there is no final report from the Ombudsman, I may be wrong (but) I feel that we cannot take anything based on documents. She has to come out with a report.”

“We need to know what’s in the report, its basis. Only then can we make a decision,” said spokesperson for the panel, Marikina Representative Romero “Miro” Quimbo.

He also maintained that they were not using the Ombudsman’s investigation to gain an upper hand in the trial, saying that they had been pursuing the issue as early as February.

The prosecution team also said that Morales was acting based on complaints received by her office and that she can do so since Corona had signed a waiver on his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

On the materiality of the dollar accounts in question at the Ombudsman’s office, another spokesperson for the prosecution and Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said “it could be material, it could be nothing, it could be a dead end.”

He said that they were really on a wait and see basis on the investigation.

Although Morales had “every right to investigate” Corona, Tañada told reporters that while he was an impeachable officer, “she can’t file (a case) while he is in office. She can make a recommendation to impeach him. That may be the result of the report (but an) immediate filing is not an option.”

Quimbo said that the investigation would not be an issue if Corona had, as he told the people during his earlier statements, opened his dollar accounts and answered questions from the impeachment court.

Although they did not know what the accounts contained exactly, Quimbo said that they were “not entirely in the dark as to what the options are” and were still discussing what could be done.

“We are belaboring what to do with it. We don’t want to prolong the trial. We have enough evidence for conviction; the dollar accounts might drag on the case instead of expediting the proceedings,” he said.