Prosecution witness takes stand as defense witness

MANILA, Philippines–A witness of the prosecution team took the witness stand again on Monday, this time as a witness for the defense team of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Carlo Alcantara, acting register of deeds of Quezon City, under direct examination of defense lawyer Dennis Manalo, identified documents referring to transfer certificates of titles for Ayala Heights and La Vista properties in the city.

Responding to Manalo’s queries, Alcantara confirmed that the Ayala Heights property in the name of Corona and wife, Cristina, was transferred to certain Rodel Rivera and wife, Amelia.

The Ayala property, Alcantara said, amounted to P8 million.

Alcantara also identified a document referring to the transfer of La Vista property in the name of the Corona couple to their daughter, Maria Carla Castillo. The property amounted to P18 million.

The defense lawyer said they presented Alcantara as a defense witness to prove the basis for the non-inclusion of two properties in the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth of the Chief Justice.

Alcantara also testified as a witness for the prosecution in connection with the same properties allegedly owned by the Coronas.

Earlier, the defense team presented the city assessor of Makati to prove that Corona declared in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) a property he owned in the city.

Mario Badillo, under direct examination of defense lawyer Tranquil Salvador, identified documents pertaining to a condominium unit in “The Columns” in Makati under the name of Corona’s wife, Cristina.

Badillo said the property has an assessed value of P726,000 and current fair market value of P1,210,000. It was declared in Corona’s 2010 SALN.

The witness was immediately discharged by the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, after the prosecution team decided not to conduct cross examination of the witness.