Corona’s daughter bought P18M property

MANILA, Philippines—Chief Justice Renato Corona’s daughter had an income of only more than P8,000 in 2009 when she bought a multi-million peso property in a posh subdivision in Quezon City, the chief of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday said.

Testifying before the Senate impeachment court, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares revealed that the Corona’s daughter, Carla Corona-Castillo, declared a “taxable” income” of P8,476 in 2009.

But a deed of sale presented to the Senate showed that Carla bought a property in La-Vista amounting to P18 million on October 18, 2010, just 10 months after she declared her income tax returns with the BIR.

Carla bought the property from her parents—the Chief Justice and wife, Cristina.

“That daughter has barely minimal income and therefore is not capable of buying the property,” said Henares.

But Corona’s lead counsel, former Supreme Court Associate Serafin Cuevas, moved to strike out Henares statement, saying it was “irrelevant, impertinent, and immaterial.”

Henares was however allowed to continue with her testimony and proceeded with the details of the transaction.

But when Henares gave the Senate information about the sale of the property, Cuevas repeated his objection, citing the Senate impeachment court’s ruling against presentation of evidence pertaining to the alleged ill-gotten wealth of Corona and his family.

Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, the presiding officer, explained that the evidence was being offered for “unreported assets.”