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Friday, January 20, 2012

Corona lied – House panel

By LLANESCA T. PANTI AND JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA REPORTERS

Prosecutors claim Chief Justice did not declare all of his properties in SALN

CHIEF Justice Renato Corona failed to declare all of his acquired properties in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), House prosecutors claimed on Thursday as they presented a number of witnesses who testified on the ownership of several titled properties in Taguig City and Quezon City (both in Metro Manila).

The prosecution panel said that the Chief Justice undervalued some of the properties listed in his statement, which could make him liable for perjury.

Randy Rutaquio of the Register of Deeds of Taguig City confirmed before the Senate impeachment court that Corona and his family owned at least three posh properties that were undervalued, if not missing, in the Chief Justice’s statement, which was released on Wednesday.

Based on the documents disclosed by Rutaquio, Corona acquired his Bellagio 1 property in 2004 and the Deed of Absolute Sale pegged the price of the unit at P14.5 million. The Deed of Absolute Sale for this property was dated December 16, 2009, but it was only valued at P6 million in Corona’s 2010 statement.

A unit in Bonifacio Ridge was acquired and paid for by Corona on October 14, 2005. A Deed of Absolute Sale valued the property at P9.159 million. This property, however, only showed up in Corona’s 2010 statement and was only valued at P2.369 million.

According to the prosecution, Corona also secured a unit at McKinley Hill, which was valued at P6.196 million in the Deed of Absolute Sale dated October 21, 2008. It was purchased under the name of his daughter Czarina, but it was the Chief Justice and his wife Cristina who signed the Deed of Absolute sale.

The McKinley Hill property was not declared in Corona’s 2009 statement.

“If you are telling the truth, why peg the price of your property on your [statement] lower than what is stated under the Deed of Absolute Sale? He could be guilty of perjury,” prosecution panel spokesman Rep. Romero Quimbo of Marikina City (also in Metro Manila) told reporters.

“When he filed his [statement], he is under oath. This is damning evidence,” he added.

Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada 3rd of Quezon province, another spokesman for the prosecution panel, agreed.

“[The statement] is filed under oath. If you lied [in] it, you are liable [for] perjury. Documents don’t lie,” Tañada said.

Rutaquio brought with him certified copies of several Certificates of Condominium Titles (CCT) registered to Corona, his wife and their daughter.

Among the documents presented before the senator-judges was the Deed of Absolute Sale of a 303.5-square-meter unit and three parking slots at The Bellagio, named under Corona and his wife.

Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Cavite province, who presented Rutaquio, claimed that that property was sold by Megaworld Corp. to the couple.

Former Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas, who leads the defense panel, questioned the true nature of the complaint against Corona, claiming that the House panel was tackling a different case.

Cuevas noted that Article 2 in the Articles of Impeachment against Corona only covered his failure to disclose to the public his statement.

The defense lawyer said that the testimony of Rutaquio was no longer in connection with the statement and could not be used on the basis of non-existent allegation.

Cuevas added that if the purpose of the prosecution was solely to determine the Chief Justice’s statement, then the evidence presented had nothing to do with it.

The defense panel tried to block the presentation of evidence against Corona, saying that the prosecution panel was on a “fishing expedition.” They added that the allegation of the House prosecution team that the chief magistrate amassed ill-gotten wealth while in the High Court was based merely on suspicions and not on facts.

“There must be no reception of evidence because there is no compliance with rule of pleading. We are trying the Chief Justice of the Philippines on allegations based on suspicion,” Cuevas said.

He added that the presentation of evidence on Corona’s properties would violate the chief magistrate’s right to due process.

But Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile overruled Cuevas, noting that the assets being examined in the testimonies are still in Corona’s statements.

Sen. Francis Escudero asked the prosecution panel to submit a memorandum to clarify their accusations against the Chief Justice.

The prosecution panel also presented Carlo Alcantara of the Register of Deeds of Quezon City to prove the existence of the purchased pieces of properties of Corona and his family.

Private prosecutor Jose Justiniano conducted the direct examination for Alcantara.

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