Former Chief Justice Renato Corona INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—A tax court justice handling the tax evasion case against former Chief Justice Renato Corona inhibited from handling the tax case against the impeached high court leader.
“I am voluntarily inhibiting myself from the consolidated cases,” Associate Justice Juanito Castañeda said in the resolution made public July 17.
Castañeda then referred the case for raffle to its committee.
Castañeda presided the Court of Tax Appeals 2nd division handling Corona’s 11 counts of tax evasion case. With one justice lacking due to his decision to inhibit, another justice will be assigned to take his place.
No reason, however, was cited for his reason to inhibit.
Corona is facing a tax liability of P120.5 million for violation of Sections 255 (failure to file income tax return) and 254 (attempt to evade payment of taxes).
Based on the BIR complaint, Corona did not declare all his assets in his Statement of Assets Liabilities and Networth.
Aside from the bank deposits, he also did not declare two real properties he acquired during his stint in government: a condominium unit at the Columns, along Ayala Avenue that he bought for P3.6 million in 2004 and a property in Fort Bonifacio that he bought for P9.16 million in 2005.
After examining Corona’s bank records and compared it with his networth, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares said they discovered a substantial disparity between the acquisition cost of the properties declared in his SALNs and the cost declared in the certificates authorizing registrations.
Corona was removed from office through impeachment in 2012.
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