Aside from his peso accounts and real estate properties, impeached
Chief Justice Renato Corona allegedly has at least $10 million in bank accounts that the Ombudsman is now asking him to explain.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, acting on several complaints filed
with her office, asked Corona to explain in writing within 72 hours how
he acquired several peso and dollar accounts, allegedly “grossly
disproportionate” to his salary, in different banks.
The order was dated April 20 and served on Corona on April 23.
“This office finds that there is reasonable ground to proceed further
with the conduct of an inquiry vis-à-vis the charges that you, during
your incumbency as a public officer, accumulated wealth that is
purportedly grossly disproportionate to your salary and other lawful
income,” Morales said in the April 20 order, a copy of which was
obtained by the Inquirer.
In addition, Morales said in the letter that she had received information that “there are several bank accounts
in PSBank and several other banks in your (Corona’s) name, including
those denominated in US dollars the aggregate value of which amounts to
at least US$10,000,000.”
Through his lawyer, Ramon Esguerra, Corona responded with a terse
four-point reply: (1) I do not own 10M. It simply does not exist. (2)
It’s part of the black propaganda and mind-conditioning preparatory to
the resumption of trial
on May 7. (3) No different from the phoney LRA [Land Registration
Authority] list, phoney US property list, phoney surveys, phoney letters
to the Inquirer editor, etc., etc. (4) The Ombudsman has no
jurisdiction over the Chief Justice.
Three complaints
Invoking her powers under Republic Act No. 6770, which defines the
powers and functions of the Office of the Ombudsman, Morales asked the
Chief Justice to reply in writing to the complaints and to the
information concerning his alleged accounts in several banks.
Morales cited three complaints filed against Corona before her office
for violation of antigraft laws, invoking the Ombudsman’s power to
investigate impeachable officers for serious misconduct, including
violations of RA 9194, or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001.
“They claim that you do not have the means to acquire properties in
substantial amounts, supposedly considering your ‘indicated net worth,
modest means and salary as a Chief Justice,’” the Ombudsman said in her
letter to Corona.
Complainants Ruperto Aleroza, Gibby Gorres, Harvey Keh, Risa
Hontiveros and Albert Concepcion sought to have Corona investigated for
allegedly amassing “real and personal properties in significant amounts”
and not declaring them in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as required by law.
In a complaint dated Feb. 17, the complainants cited 10 pieces of
real property which were presented by the House prosecution in Corona’s
impeachment trial at the Senate. These include supposedly “posh” units
at the Bellagio, Spanish Bay, The Columns, One Burgundy Plaza
condominium developments and houses in the La Vista and Ayala Heights
gated communities.
The complainants also cited Corona’s alleged 10 peso accounts and two dollar accounts at Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) and five peso accounts with Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).
A second complaint was filed on March 1 by party-list member Walden
Bello (Akbayan), Earnest Francis Calayag, Moses Mikael SD Albiento and
Tristan Diane Brioso Zinampan.
They claimed that Corona underdeclared the values of his real
properties in his SALN and did not declare his property in La Vista,
Quezon City, and in McKinley Hills, Taguig.
They claimed that the “actual value of his personal properties in the
amount of P31,752,623.00 exceeded the declared value in his SALN by
P27,252,623.09.”
“According to complainants, the real and personal properties
supposedly owned by you and your family are manifestly out of proportion
to your salary as public officer, as well as other lawful income,
during your respective tenures as associate justice and Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court,” the Ombudsman said.
A third complaint dated March 28 was filed by Emmanuel Tiu Santos who
said Corona had unexplained wealth consisting of P24.6 million in five
accounts at PSBank and P12 million with BPI.
Santos, citing reports published in the Inquirer, pointed out that
Corona also withdrew P32.6 million on the day he was impeached.
Trial resumes May 7
“While you may only be removed from office through impeachment
proceedings, this office has, as reflected earlier, the power and duty
to investigate you for any serious misconduct in office for the purpose
of filing a verified complaint for impeachment, if warranted. It was on
this account that this Office conducted an initial evaluation on the
complaints,” the Ombudsman said.
The Ombudsman’s move comes as Corona’s impeachment trial at the
Senate resumes on May 7 after Congress returns from a six-week break.
It will be the turn of the defense to present its case for Corona.
The prosecution sought to subpoena Corona’s alleged dollar accounts,
but the Supreme Court stopped the Senate from compelling the banks to
submit documents on the alleged dollar accounts.
Corona has said he would open his bank accounts to public scrutiny in due time.
source:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/184339/corona-asked-explain-10m-bank-accounts
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