Corona urged to explain 82 dollar accounts

Senator Sergio Osmeña III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona should explain the alleged 82 dollar bank accounts disclosed by the Ombudsman and the Basa-Guidote Enterprise Inc. (BGEI) ownership in his testimony on Tuesday, Senator Sergio Osmeña III said Friday.

In an interview with Senate reporters, Osmeña said that these two matters are what he is expecting Corona to explain when he takes the witness stand on the resumption of the impeachment trial Tuesday next week.

“These 82 bank dollar accounts, do these exist? If they do, why were they not declared in his SALN (statement of assets, liabilities and networth)?” Osmeña told reporters.

The 82 dollar accounts were mentioned by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales when she took the witness stand Monday quoting reports from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

When asked how the senate would decide if Corona denies owning these accounts, Osmeña said: “If he denies without evidence, then he will be in trouble… He has to give proof.”

Osmeña said that though the court is unsatisfied with the defense’s explanation on Corona’s properties–including properties in the United States which the defense claimed belongs to their client’s daughter, Charina–the dollar accounts and the BGEI ownership far overshadows the issue.

He added that he will urge the Chief Justice to sign a waiver to the banks where he allegedly keeps dollar accounts allowing them to disclose the details of these accounts.

“The best evidence is the bank documents itself. No amount of explanation will amount to that,” Osmeña said.

He also warned the defense team that they will not get away with using technicalities, for example claiming that there was no court order for the documents from the Anti-money Laundering Council submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman.

“They will not get away with that. The public know those technicalities will not work at this late stage,” Osmeña said.

He added that to invoke the temporary restraining order to prevent the court from further probing the dollar accounts will also put Corona in bad light.

Meanwhile, Osmeña said that the Senate, sitting as the impeachment court will make a ruling on the case on May 31.