Ask Corona’s consent over dollar accounts, senator says

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — To avoid the “agony” of a legal confrontation, a senator-judge on Thursday asked the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, to seek Chief Justice Renato Corona’s consent in opening his dollar accounts with the Philippine Savings Bank.

“The impeachment court should consider seeking the Chief Justice’s consent to open dollar bank accounts,” Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said in a statement, pointing out that the law on foreign currency deposits allows access to dollar accounts upon written consent of a depositor.

Pangilinan was referring to Republic Act 6426 known as the Foreign Currency Deposits Act.

“While we support the ruling of the court that the dollar accounts can be subpoenaed for trial purposes, pending the explanation of PSBank and while we are going through the other local bank deposits, the court can consider seeking the Chief Justice’s consent through counsel for the submission of the ending bank balances of his five dollar accounts,” he said.

During Wednesday’s trial in the Senate, PSBank president Pascual Garcia III revealed that Corona has  five dollar accounts with the bank but refused to submit details to the chamber for fear of criminal liability.

Garcia only produced to the Senate five peso accounts in the name of Corona.

But Pangilinan pointed out that the impeachment court could access Corona’s dollar accounts if the Chief Justice himself would give his consent to open the bank records.

“The impeachment court may therefore, without prejudice to resorting to compulsory process should the request be rejected, seek the go signal of the Chief Justice to turn over these bank records to the court,” said the senator.

“Lets ask him to voluntarily submit the records. Who knows he might have a change of heart and agree and if so, we spare both the bank and the court the agony of a legal confrontation,” Pangilinan added.