Tupas, Quimbo laud BIR for tax case vs Coronas

Former Chief Justice Renato Corona. SENATE POOL FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers on Thursday backed the P150.68 million worth tax evasion case lodged by the Bureau of Internal Revenue against ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona, his daughter Ma. Carla Beatriz Castillo and son-in-law Constantino Castillo III.

Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr., who served as lead prosecutor during the impeachment trial against Corona, believes that it was only right that the government go after the former chief justice.

“Cases against the former CJ should be pursued by the agencies of the government if there are prima facie cases against him based on their investigation and the evidence submitted by the prosecution during the impeachment trial.”

Such cases “show the government’s commitment in pursuing the public accountability provisions of the Constitution,” he added.

Marikina Representative Romero “Miro” Quimbo, a spokesman of the House prosecution team, shared Tupas’ views, noting the case was part of the political process.

Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption Representative Sherwin Tugna, who was a member of the House prosecution team, said that he believes that the justice department “should rule according to the facts and evidence presented.”

Like Tupas, Tugna felt that “sufficient pieces of evidence were shown during the impeachment trial that former CJ Corona earned income that he did not declare in the BIR.”