Disclaims ownership of P37M deposit

Corona takes to the airwaves

Disclaims ownership of P37M deposit

By EVANGELINE DE VERA

AS early as November last year, information on accounts of Chief Justice Renato Corona at the Philippine Savings Bank was already being "leaked."

This was according to Corona himself, who yesterday broke his silence and refuted allegations related to the Articles of Impeachment being heard by the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.

The Senate has been tracing the source of the leak on Corona’s accounts. The suspect so far is an examiner of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Officials of the BSP and PSBank have denied leaking information. Copies of leaked documents have been presented by the House prosecution panel to the impeachment court in requesting a subpoena of bank officials and records.

PSBank, in a statement yesterday, said it "has successfully maintained the confidence of all its depositors including its most high-profile customers for the past 52 years."

Corona said he lost trust in the bank after he learned of the leak, so he decided to withdraw at least P37 million from three accounts at the PSBank branch on Katipunan avenue in Quezon City on Dec. 12, 2011, the same day 188 House members impeached him.

Corona made the statements in a live interview with Arnold Clavio at GMA 7’s Unang Hirit program, the first since the impeachment trial started in January, and a few days before his team starts its presentation of evidence and witnesses before the Senate.

It is still unclear if Corona will appear before the Senate to personally refute the allegations. He said he is willing but his lawyers are still deciding the merits of his personal testimony.

His wife, Cristina, will testify, according to the defense team which will start presentation of evidence and witnesses on Monday.

Corona said that as early as November, friends and relatives had been telling him and his wife that some bank officials at the Katipunan branch were talking about the accounts.

"Parang yung mismong branch manager ang nagkukwento. So may suspetsa na kami na doon nanggagaling yung leak. At that point, hindi pa namin alam kung sino exactly ang pinanggagalingan, pero facing a situation like that, ikaw ba magtitiwala ka pa sa bangkong ganon? Di mo ba wi-withdraw-in yung pera mo kung ikaw ang nasa lugar namin?" he told Clavio.

Aside from losing trust in the bank, the decision to withdraw the money was prompted also by information that his bank accounts would be scrutinized and he would be accused of amassing ill-gotten wealth. The information came from text messages sent by friends, Corona said.

On why the P37 million was not reflected in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), Corona said it was because the money was not his to begin with. He said it belonged to the Basa Guidote Enterprises Inc., a company owned by the family of his wife who had been named administratrix of its properties and assets.

The amount represents payment of the Manila city government on the expropriation of a BGEI property and which was deposited in their account.

"Iyon ay pera ng korporasyon, sa pinagbentahan ng lupa. Di lang yan depensa ko kundi yan ang katotohanan. Hindi yan nakadeklara kase hindi naman sa amin yun e, kasi sa corporation yan. Ikaw ba ide-declare mo sa SALN mo ang ari-ariang hindi naman sa yo? Syempre hindi," he said.

One of the eight articles of impeachment accuses Corona of not declaring all his assets in his SALN.

Corona also expressed willingness to testify before the impeachment court and allow the scrutiny of his dollar account at PSBank, to explain supposed discrepancies in his SALN.

The account reportedly contains some $700,000.

"Matagal nang maraming naghihintay ng paliwanag ko. So ina-assure ko po sa inyo na ako po ay magpapaliwanag and I will give an adequate explanation of each and every cent that came in and went out," he said.

"Hindi naman controversial yun (dollar account) e. Hindi kailangang i-waive (right under the bank secrecy law) kasi ako mismo ang magpapaliwanag. Hindi ko maipapaliwanag kung di ako pupunta at bubuksan iyon. Sandali na lang naman yan," he added.

DEMOLITION JOB

At the start of the interview, Corona was quick to label the accusations being hurled against him and his family as part of a "professional demolition or hatchet job."

Asked whether he thought that his rival Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio was behind the attacks, Corona was silent for a few seconds, but said Carpio had long wanted to become chief justice.

Clavio then followed up with the question of whether he thought that the CVC law firm, which Carpio co-founded, may be behind the black propaganda. Corona replied, "Naalala ko ang kanyang mga partners sa law office niya ang gumagalaw. So siguro."

Corona said these all started when he was appointed chief justice, but he denied he is a "midnight" appointee, pointing out that his appointment went through the legal processes of vetting by the Judicial and Bar Council.

He was appointed by Gloria Arroyo shortly before she stepped down from the presidency in June 2010.

Corona also said President Aquino wanted him out because of the Supreme Court’s decision ordering the distribution of Hacienda Luisita’s 4,915.75-hectare sugar plantation to its more than 6,000 farmer-beneficiaries.

He said he is the one blocking the demand of Hacienda Luisita Inc. to be compensated P10 billion for the expropriation of the land in line with the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

SERENO LIED?

Corona hinted that Carpio and Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Aquino’s first appointee to the high court, are colluding to oust him from his post. "I think it’s already obvious. We are not blind," he said.

He also accused Sereno of lying in her dissenting opinion on the Court’s resolution issuing a temporary restraining order against the travel ban imposed against Arroyo by the Department of Justice.

House prosecutors have sought Sereno’s appearance at the trial to shed light on the supposed partiality of Corona to Arroyo as evidenced by the issuance of the TRO in November last year.

Sereno’s dissenting opinion on the issuance of the TRO was used as a basis by Justice Secretary de Lima in preventing Arroyo and her husband from leaving the country last November 15.

In her dissenting opinion, Sereno said Corona influenced other justices to delay the closing of office hours to allow Arroyo’s lawyers to post bond in compliance with the conditions set in the TRO.

Corona said he was robbed of the chance to challenge Sereno when the latter declined the request of the prosecutors to testify.

In turning down the prosecutors’ request, Sereno cited as reason the decision of the prosecution panel to rest its case.

Corona said he wanted Sereno to testify so he could prove she lied.

"Hindi siya pinipigilan (to testify). In fact, gustong gusto ko siyang mag-testify don. Siya ang umatras. Bakit ko iniintay? Kasi papatunayan ko na siya ay nagsisinungaling," he said.

MRS. CORONA

Lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas said Mrs. Corona will be presented to refute Article 2 which accuses Corona of failing to disclose his SALN and failure to include in his SALN his properties, including multi-million bank deposits.

Cuevas also said some congressmen will be asked to testify on the infirmities of the Articles of Impeachment, among them Jesus Crispin Remulla, Tobias Tiangco and Herminaldo Mandanas. The three refused to sign the eight Articles of Impeachment.

On the appearance of the chief justice, Cuevas said the matter is still under study.

"Kung wala namang dahilan para iprisenta si Corona at wala namang magiging subject ang kanyang testimonya, bakit pa namin ihaharap?" Cuevas said.

The prosecution panel said Corona has no more reason not to testify after granting the TV interview, and later on radio.

"Anong sasabihin ng mga senator-judges? Nagpapakita ka sa media outlets tapos kung saan nakahimpil yun’ kaso mo di ka magpapakita?" said Rep. Miro Quimbo, lead prosecution spokesman.

Quimbo said Corona’s move to exchange in a "publicity blitz" is a tacit admission that the prosecution’s case against him is strong.

"It only goes to show napalakas ebidensiya (ng prosecution) for him to out of his way," he said, noting that the Chief Justice reached the point of calling his colleague Sereno, a "liar."

TIMING

Quimbo slammed the timing of the interviews, saying these were after the Senate accepted evidence on Article II.

"Hindi ho ba tayo nagtataka na ngayon lang siya lumabas? This reveals the weakness of his defense," he said.

Quimbo pointed out that Corona is now the one engaging in "defense by publicity" after accusing the prosecution of "trial by publicity."

He said that while it is the right of the defense panel to explain Corona’s side to the public through the media, it has no right to accuse the prosecution of engaging in trial by publicity when its client, himself, is doing exactly just that.

"Kinokondena nila kami sa ganung gawain pero ginagawa din nila," Quimbo said. "Our advice is for him to show up at the Senate impeachment court which will start on Monday."

House deputy speaker Lorenzo Tañada III said he found it amusing that Corona closed his time deposit accounts in PSBank on the day he was impeached only to reopen it the following day.

"Kung walang tiwala sa PSBank bakit ibinalik pa ‘yun account?" Tañada said.

On Corona’s allegation that the President is exacting revenge because of the SC’s decision to distribute the Hacienda Luisita to farmers, he said it was meant to "fool" the public.

‘SPIN’

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the interview Corona gave was not helpful as he did not say anything new or substantial.

"It’s all spin," he said.

"As the President said, it is long overdue. Just present those documents and that will settle everything. But he refuses to do that," he said.

Lacierda also expressed doubt on Corona’s claim that he would be acquitted and his acquittal would strengthen the judicial system in the country.

He said instead of making such claims, Corona should just explain his accounts and assets.

SAME SCHEDULE

The defense team rejected the proposal of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to hold morning and afternoon hearings, instead of just afternoons, to speed up the trial.

Cuevas said holding marathon hearings the whole day would be "mentally taxing."

Besides, Cuevas said, the defense panel reserves its mornings on trial days (Mondays to Thursdays) preparing for the afternoon hearings and prepping up their witnesses.

Lead prosecutor Rep. Niel Tupas said he is in favor of speeding up the impeachment trial but cannot compel the defense panel to agree to the proposal of marathon trials.

Senate majority leader Vicente Sotto III said it would be unfair to the defense team to hasten the procedure just when it is their turn to present witness, while the prosecution had 26 days.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged President Aquino to stop his anti-Corona tirades which he said is confusing the public.

"Malaking pampagulo ang nangyayari," Marcos told reporters as he reminded Aquino of his earlier pronouncement before trial started that he would keep his hands off the proceedings.

"It muddles the water about what is in fact the evidence being presented in court. I don’t know what is the purpose because the senator-judges are very, very focused in what is going on during the trial and we’re very, very conscientious about dispensing what goes on in the media," he said. – With JP Lopez, Wendell Vigilia and Jocelyn Montemayor