Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The report that Chief Justice Renato Corona allegedly owned $10 million bank deposits came from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales disclosed on Monday.
“We received report that the Chief Justice has $10 million and that report was based on the report that was given to me by the AMLC and these are the documents given by the AMLC,” Morales said, responding to queries of Corona’s chief defense counsel, former Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas.
Morales said the AMLC report was a 17-page report.
When Cuevas asked why the Ombudsman did not say the source of the report in her April 20, 2012 letter to the Chief Justice, Morales said, “I thought it was not necessary.”
“Why did you not consider that necessary when you were practically accusing a person of illegally acquired wealth, your honor. Why?” asked Cuevas.
“I though it was not necessary to mention the source after all that account did not exist…” said Morales.
But when Cuevas repeatedly asked why the Ombudsman did not say that the source of the report was the AMLC, Morales said, “You are saying your honor that these accounts exist because you’re saying these are confidential?”
“I’m not saying, I am not saying. It is your answer that there is report to this effect,” Cuevas said.
The letter being referred to was the letter written by the Ombudsman, asking Corona to answer the charges filed against him within 72 hours.
In that letter, the Ombudsman mentioned about the alleged $10 million bank deposits, which were not mentioned in the complaint filed before her office .
“That’s correct. They did not mention about $10 million,” Morales said when asked about the complaint.
When the case was filed at the Ombudsman, Morales said she immediately went over the documents and referred the information to AMLC because she said she thought the complaint contained some issues within the jurisdiction of the AMLC.
“Eventually, I wrote the AMLC seeking assistance towards the determination of the truth of the charges,” Morales said.
The Ombudsman was presented by Corona’s camp to prove that she has “interest” against the Chief Justice and that the investigation conducted against him was “baseless” and illegal” since there was already an ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate.
Morales admitted that Corona did not vote for her nomination as Ombudsman but said her decision to investigate the Chief Justice was her constitutional mandate.
Originally posted at 03:50 pm | Monday, May 14, 2012