Impeachment prosecutors say more evidence on Corona’s "hidden" assets

By Lilybeth G. Ison

MANILA, Jan. 3 — The prosecution panel of the House of Representatives on Tuesday said they are doing extensive research on the properties allegedly amassed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona as evidence for his impeachment trial.

Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., chief prosecutor, in a press briefing, said members of the prosecution panel uncovered properties allegedly owned by the magistrate and his wife and will be checking if these have been declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN).

"Maraming ebidensya na ang natanggap ng panel ng prosecution. Nagugulat kami sa dami ng nakukuha namin. Maraming properties na pag-aari ni Chief Justice Corona ang nabibigay sa amin ngayon," he said.

Tupas cited such evidence as the condominium unit supposedly purchased by Corona and his wife, Cristina, and took out three parking slots at The Bellagio, located at the high-end Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

The 303.5-square meter Unit 38B and the three parking slots, each 12.5 square meters, were bought for P14.5 million in December 2009, when Corona was still an associate justice, and the titles transferred to his and Cristina’s name in January 2010.

"We are uncovering properties of the Chief Justice one by one… The question is, is this (condominium) in the SALN of the Chief Justice?" said Tupas.

Corona, in his reply to the impeachment complaint, earlier admitted that he purchased the condominium unit in Taguig, and that he declared this in his SALN.

Undeclared wealth is in the second article of impeachment against the chief magistrate, covering his non-disclosure of his SALN.

"We are challenging the chief justice to bring out his SALN kung kasama talaga itong property na ito. Tingnan natin kasi maraming properties pa ang mga nasa kamay namin ngayon na pag-aari ng chief justice," said Tupas.

"If, say, the (Bellagio) property is declared in his SALN, the next question is, where did he get the money to buy (it)," he said.

The Supreme Court en banc has issued a resolution on the non-disclosure of justices’ SALN, which is ostensibly intended to shield them from requests for information that could lead to intimidation, harassment and fishing expedition.

Tupas said the chief justice should publicly release his SALN to prove that his properties were legitimately acquired. (PNA)

RMA/LGI

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