Corona said, “It’s theirs if they can find it.” Well, here they are! — PERRY DIAZ
Prosecution seeks subpoena on 45 Corona ‘properties’
MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona asked the Senate on Thursday to subpoena documents to 45 properties purportedly owned by the beleaguered magistrate and members of his family.
But News5’s Fritzie Cabial reported that Corona denied owning so many properties, saying: “Kung makita nila ‘yun, kanila na (It’s theirs if they can find it).”
Representatives Miro Quimbo of Marikina City, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara of Aurora and Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III of Quezon, the spokesmen of the prosecution, told a news conference that the panel is seeking a subpoenae ad testificandum to compel the appearance of Corona, his wife Cristina, daughters Charina and Carla Corona-Castillo, son Francis Corona and son-in-law Constantino Castillo III at the impeachment trial, which begins at the Senate on January 16.
The prosecution also sought a subpoena duces tecum for the documents to the 45 properties that consist of condominium units, houses and lots in Makati (one), Paranaque/Pasay (one), Marikina (eight), Taguig (12) and Quezon cities (23).
Among the eight articles of impeachment against Corona is his failure to disclose his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.
“At least 40 of these properties were not declared in Chief Justice Corona’s 2002 SALN, the last year when he made such (a) declaration,” Quimbo told reporters.
Corona was made a Supreme Court justice in 2002.
Angara said “we want (that) these people be called and bring with them the documents for the 45 properties registered under the names of Chief Justice Corona and members of his family.”
Tañada said most of the properties appear to have been acquired after Corona joined the high court.
“The next question is, ‘How did he acquire them, what were his sources (of income)?’” Tanada said.
The three lawmakers said the prosecution is now working to identify the bank records of Corona as they pointed out that the Bank Secrecy Law guarantees the right of the Senate, as impeachment court, to inquire into these documents.
Below are the details of the title of the purported Corona properties:
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/21786/prosecution-seeks-subpoena-on-45-corona-properties
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‘Coronas own 45 properties’
MANILA, Philippines – Chief Justice Renato Corona and his family have at least 45 condominium units, lots and other real estate properties in Metro Manila, House impeachment prosecutors revealed yesterday.
Prosecutors attached to their request for subpoenas for the Coronas a list of properties in their names. The list was given to prosecution panel head Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. by Land Registration Authority administrator Eulalio Diaz.
Diaz also sent Tupas certified true copies of the Coronas’ titles to their properties, which consist of 13 condominium units and 32 houses and lots or lots.
The Chief Justice denied the allegations. “If they find those they can take them. I’ll execute deed of donation,” he told reporters in an ambush interview. “Hindi ako magnanakaw tulad nila (I am not a thief like them),” he said.
Some 27 of the properties are in the names of Corona and his wife Cristina. The others are in the names of his daughter Carla Corona and her husband Constantino Castillo III, son Francis and daughter Charina.
Of the 27 pieces of real estate under the names of the Chief Justice and his wife, 12 are condominium units – 10 in Taguig City, one in Makati, and one in Quezon City.
The remaining 15 are either houses and lots or lots – eight in Marikina City, two in Taguig City and five in Quezon City.
The condominium units are covered by condominium certificates of title (CCT), while the houses and lots or lots are covered by transfer certificates of title.
Last week, the House prosecution panel revealed that Corona and his wife acquired a 303.5-square meter penthouse at the Bellagio Tower at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig for P14.5 million.
In his answer to the impeachment complaint, the Chief Justice acknowledged owning a 300-square meter apartment in Taguig, which he said was acquired on installment. He gave no other details.
The Coronas’ real property list showed that some of the real estate attributed to the Chief Justice and his family are not in their names.
For instance, the 33rd in the listing (TCT No. 226256) is in the name of the National Housing Authority, while the 44th (TCT 84241) is in the name of former Quezon City mayor Ismael Mathay Jr. Another (CCT No. 11168) is under the name of Burgundy Realty Corp.
Sought for comment on this, prosecution panel spokesman Rep. Miro Quimbo of Marikina said these were either owned by the Coronas or to be transferred to the Coronas.
He said the Quezon City properties include a huge lot inside the exclusive La Vista subdivision, which is home to former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who appointed Corona as associate justice and later as chief justice. He said House prosecutors would prove that the Chief Justice and his wife do not have the legal means to acquire the properties listed in their names. With Edu Punay
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=767333&publicationSubCategoryId=63
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45 properties under names of Corona, kin, others—LRA
MANILA, Philippines – The Land Registration Authority (LRA) reported a total of 45 properties registered under the name of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, some family members and other personalities.
In a letter to Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr, head of the prosecution team in the Corona impeachment, dated Jan. 10, 2012, LRA administrator Eulalio Diaz III listed at least 13 properties “in the name spouses Cristina Corona and Renato Corona,” and another 12 in the name of the wife alone.
Only two, both in Quezon City, were listed in the name of the Chief Justice.
Others – either transfer certificates of title (TCTs) or condominium certificates of title (CCTs) – were listed in the name of Corona’s daughter Ma. Carla Corona-Castillo and husband, Constantino Castillo III, and other personalities.
The LRA listed 23 properties in Quezon City, 12 in Taguig City, 8 in Marikina City, one in Paranaque/Pasay City and another one on Makati City.
One title in Quezon City was registered in the name of its former Mayor Ismael Mathay Jr.
Quezon Representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada III, spokesman of the prosecution team, said the information was relevant to the impeachment case of Corona, citing news reports that he only declared three real estate properties when he filed his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALN in 2002.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) reported over the weekend that in 2002, Corona, who was then presidential adviser and chief of staff, declared owning three real estate properties in Quezon City worth P10 million.
The prosecution team then requested the Senate on Thursday to subpoena all pertinent documents pertaining to the properties listed by the LRA.
But Tanada quickly clarified that mere ownership of these properties would not necessarily mean that Corona was guilty of any irregularity.
“Ownership of these titles doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s automatically guilty. Unang una, kailangang makita kung nasa SLAN nya yan. Kunan nandyan, the most important question that we have to prove is whether his income provides him enough resources to purchase these properties,” he said over the phone.
“He [Corona] should tell the truth. He has to come out and tell the truth,” Tanada added.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/126885/45-properties-under-names-of-corona-kin-others%E2%80%94lra
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45 Corona assets eyed
‘If you can find them, you can have them’
Lawmakers seeking to oust Chief Justice Renato Corona want his entire household to appear at the opening of his impeachment trial on Monday and explain their alleged illegal acquisition of 45 properties.
Prosecutors from the House of Representatives on Thursday asked the Senate to issue subpoenas for Corona, his wife Cristina, their children Carla, Francis and Charina, and son-in-law Constantino Castillo III.
“If they can find it, it’s theirs,” Corona said after a Mass at the Supreme Court. “I’ll execute a deed of donation. If they can show my properties, I’ll just give it to them. The problem with some people—I won’t say who—they think that I am a thief like them.”
Representative Niel Tupas Jr. and his fellow prosecutors filed the request for summons a day after Corona’s camp asked senators to require Tupas and four other congressmen, including Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, to appear during the trial.
Corona’s legal defense team wants to question Tupas and company on the hasty approval of the impeachment complaint against the Chief Justice, even if a number of House members had admitted they had not read the voluminous document but signed it anyway during a five-hour caucus last month.
The Chief Justice is facing charges of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust and graft and corruption outlined in eight articles of impeachment.
In the five-page request, Tupas’ group also asked the Senate to require Corona and his family to produce a variety of documents pertaining to 45 properties purportedly under their names.
Properties in 4 cities
The properties are located in the cities of Makati, Parañaque, Marikina and Taguig, according to a two-page letter from Land Registration Authority Administrator Eulalio Diaz III, which was attached to the House panel’s request.
The Diaz letter was dated January 10 and was addressed to Tupas. It was sent “pursuant to (Tupas’) request for information relative to real estate properties registered in the name of Renato Corona et al.”
Tupas and his team wanted the Coronas to produce documents such as transfer certificates of title (TCTs), condominium certificates of title (CCTs), deeds of absolute sale, deeds of conditional sale, deeds of donation, deeds of assignment or transfer, and contracts of lease.
The prosecutors also sought purchase receipts or checks, certificates authorizing registration, and tax declarations of real property.
Tupas also urged the Senate to require the submission of income tax returns of Corona and his family from 1991 to 2011.
The Diaz letter mentioned 10 CCTs in the name of Corona and his wife, plus TCT No. 989 and TCT No. 2093-P.
Tupas and his fellow prosecutors earlier held a press conference announcing that Corona owned a 300-square-meter penthouse unit at The Fort in Taguig.
They had since been castigated by a number of senators for releasing evidence in media before the actual impeachment trial could begin.
Corona later asked senators to impose sanctions on the prosecutors. He noted he had already admitted owning the property in his official reply to the impeachment complaint.
45 properties
Of the 45 purported Corona properties, eight are supposedly located in Marikina while 23 are in Quezon City.
Three of them, however, were not in Coronas’ name. Property No. 33 was listed in the name of the National Housing Authority, No. 35 in the name of Burgundy Realty Corp. and No. 44 in the name of Ismael A. Mathay Jr. et. al.
Marikina Representative Romero Quimbo explained that the three properties could be traced back to Corona.
Quimbo said Corona’s latest statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) in 2002 showed only five properties, a net worth of P13.9 million and P1-million liability.
He said Corona should explain how he was able to secure 40 more properties given his and his wife’s income in the government, noting that most properties were listed in the names of the Coronas when he was already Chief Justice.
Quimbo said the panel still had to investigate Corona’s possible properties abroad as well as bank accounts.
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