Defense: Is money in bank accounts Corona's?
MANILA, Philippines - Yes, there’s money in Chief Justice Renato Corona’s bank accounts, but is it his?
This was the only answer volunteered by defense lawyer Ramon Esguerra, when asked why Corona’s total bank balance from two accounts in Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) registered at P19.73 million as of end-2010.
This is higher than the P3.5 million cash and investments the magistrate declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth for end-2010.
“Nasa pangalan nga nya, pero pera nya ba?” Esguerra asked.
He did not answer any further, saying the defense will have the opportunity when their time comes to present their evidence. He noted, however, that Corona is now being tried before the public, without an opportunity to be heard.
He added they are also waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court in connection with a petition the defense filed yesterday seeking a stop to the impeachment trial.
Based on the 39-page urgent petition for certiorari, the defense said they have been “forced into litigation with standards so far below the norm in regular proceedings.”
As such, “the effect has been the unhappy experience of trying the impeachment case with the general public as the judge and jury. Not only does this violate the right of CJ Corona to the cold, neutrality of an impartial judge, but it also denies him the fundamental right to a trial in accordance [with the Constitution and the laws],” the defense said.
They cited these arguments:
- the impeachment complaint is null and void because it was transmitted without due notice and hearing to CJ Corona;
- the impeachment court gravely abused its discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in retaining 2.3 of Article II
- paragraphs 2.3 and 2.4 of the complaint are based on pure speculation and conclusions, which cannot be considered as ultimate facts sufficient to support a complaint;
- the presentation of evidence on charges of alleged corruption and unexplained wealth violates petitioner’s right to due process;
- the impeachment court committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in issuing the subpoena for all the bank accounts, as requested by the prosecution.
In a statement, prosecution spokesman Miro Quimbo said: “We have only hit the tip of the iceberg. What we feel is that the balances revealed in Wednesday’s trial were random samples of the chief magistrate’s hidden stash.”
“It reinforces our appeal that the foreign deposits of the impeached chief justice be disclosed in the interest of truth and transparency,” prosecution spokesman Erin Tañada added.
Printer-friendly version
Send to friend
Share your views
might be
The defense team of Corona is consistently fabricating excuses to evade answering the issue.
Firstly, they say the prosecution team is on fishing expedition.
Then they said if Corona has that wicked huge some of money prove it!!
When the prosecution presented the evidence Corona bank account, they said is it Corona'?
Again, Jimeno said it is not a crime to have a dollar account. And Corona had that account even before joining the Supreme Court.
Now, why this defense team does not like Corona dollar account be disclosed or open.
What is wrong with these bunch of lawyers???
Has the defense panel gone nuts?
Whose money then? Drug lords? Gambling lords? Kidnap for ransom gangs? What, then, has Corona been doing? MONEY LAUNDERING? If not from the sources mentioned, then is he keeping in his PERSONAL account money that belongs to the COURT?
ESGUERRA NOMAR, KAHIT ANO NA
ESGUERRA NOMAR,
KAHIT ANO NA LANG ANG MASABI BASTA ME MASABI. UN ANG NAPALA MO SA PAGKAMPI SA MGA MAGNANAKAW. DAPAT NGA SA U ISAMA PAGSUNOG SA DAGDAGATANG APOY KASAMA SI KAPATID NA SERAFIN CUEVAS AT GAWIN NUNG MUSE IS ATTY KAREN JIMENO PARA ME PANGGATONG.
MGA TAGAPAGTANGOL NG KASAMAAN
Naman
Dre, huwag namang gawing panggatong si Karen, pampainit na lang, he-he-he. Ngayon alam na natin kung saan galing ang mga pinapalamon nina Cuevas at Esguerra sa kanilang mga pamilya. Karen kaya ng sikmura mo ito, ano?
Mga inutil na abogado
Hanggang dito na lang ba ang depensa? Akala ko ba eh magaling na lalaki sina Cuevas at Esguerra, mga inutil pala. Una, "inaccuracies", ang kasunod eh may $$$ accounts na si Corona bago maging CJ at ngayon naman eh lumalabas na di kay Corona ang mga bank accounts na ito. Dahil sa katusuhan ninyo, iginisa ninyo si Corona sa sarili niyang mantika. Pagbutihin ninyo naman, kitang-kita na ng bayan kung ano ang ginagawa ninyo. Mind you, maski sinong bobo eh alam na niloloko ninyo lang si Juan dela Cruz. Malaking pasalamat sa inyo at makikita natin ang monthly statements ng isang account sa BPI. Mabubusisi na ang lahat ng transactions ng BPI account sa loob ng anim na taon (from 2005 to 2010). Mahihirapan kayong magpaliwanag kay Ms Kim Henares dahil palaki na ng palaki ang ari-arian ni Corona. Di madali ang maglubid ng buhangin.
SALN versus Bank Secrecy Laws
sa banggaan ng SALN at bank confidentiality and secrecy laws, panalo ang SALN. ibig sabihin, kailangan ilabas lahat sa SALN ang ariarian ng isang opisyal, kahit nakalagay pa sa foreign currency account. hindi nagbigay ng exemption ang batas sa klase ng assets o cash on hand na kailangan i-disclose sa SALN ng public official. dapat i-disclose lahat sa SALN at pwedeng busisiin, kasama din idisclose at busisiin yun foreign currency deposits kahit "absolutely confidential" kuno, kasi sabog ang intent of the law sa SALN kung yun mga magnanakaw sa gobyerno itatago na lang ninakaw nila sa foreign currency deposits tapos wala nang pwedeng makakita, kahit DOJ, husgado, o impeachment court. yun karapatan ng isang tao sa "absolute privacy and confidentiality" ng foreign currency deposits ay mahihigitan ng karapatan ng mga nakararaming mamamayan sa ilalim ng public interest doctrine ng batas, at ang SALN ay to protect the public interest. Read the law itself:
RA 6713 (Law Creating SALN):
SECTION 4. Norms of Conduct of Public Officials and Employees. — (A) Every public official and employee shall observe the following as standards of personal conduct in the discharge and execution of official duties:
(a) Commitment to public interest. — Public officials and employees SHALL ALWAYS UPHOLD THE PUBLIC INTEREST OVER AND ABOVE PERSONAL INTEREST. (Caps supplied)
SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees and orders or parts thereof inconsistent herewith, ARE DEEMED MODIFIED ACCORDINGLY, unless the same provide for a heavier penalty. (Caps supplied)
klaro sa batas na mauuna ang public interest kaysa personal interest. also, nauna lumabas ang foreign deposits secrecy law, huli ang RA6713. sa batas , yung huling batas, binabago nya epekto noong naunang batas kung may conflict ng epekto.
yun mga kumakampi kay corona tungkol sa $$$ deposits nya ay pumapayag na itago ni corona katotohanan sa $$$ deposits nya, kasama na rito si joaquin bernas, na nagpapanggap na constitutionalist, but who is just an opportunist na ginagamit ang stature nya para ipagtanggol ang mga katulad ni corona at ni GMA
torni esguerra
Nasa pangalan nga nya, pero pera nya ba?” Esguerra asked.
sagot ko sayo torni 'tama ka hindi nga niya pera kasi pera ng taong bayan' kakaloka ka torni ayus ang statement mo.
scatterbrains
simple. kung nakalagay sa bangko nya, presumption ng batas pera nya. kung sasabihin may "nakilagay" lang at hindi talaga pera ni corona eh dapat ipakita chain of custody ng pera mula doon sa bank account o dokumento na nagpapakita ng original na may-ari ng pera hanggang sa aktwual na pagdedeposito sa bangko ni corona. kung laging paniniwalaan yun palusot na "hindi akin yan" ("Iggy Arroyo defense," sorry nananahimik na sya but yun yung tawag sa ginawa ni Mike Arroyo sa Jose Pidal case) wala nang makukukulong sa pagsasabi ng hindi totoo sa SALN. at least yun din sinasabi ni corona sa kanyang mga desisyones related sa SALN.
The Patriot
"
Nasa pangalan nga nya, pero pera nya ba?” Esguerra asked.
TORNI ESGUERRA YANG MGA STATEMENTS MO NA YAN ... GINIGISA MO LANG KLIYENTE MO SA SARILINIYAN MANTIKA AT LALO MO LANG BINIBIGYAN NG LEAD ANG MGA PROSECUTORS. ANG ISDA NGA NAMAN NABIBINGWIT SA BIBIG . MAY TAMA KA TORNI DI SA KANYA LAHAT YAN , SA KURAKOT GALING AT SA MGA PADULAS NG MGA MAY PABOR SA KASO SA KORTE. TAPOS ANG BOKSING.
The Patriot
"
Nasa pangalan nga nya, pero pera nya ba?” Esguerra asked.
TORNI ESGUERRA AYNG MGA SATEMENTS MO NA YAN ... GINIGISA MO LANG KLIYENTE MO SA SARILINIYAN MANTIKA AT LALO MO LANG BINIBIGYAN NG LEAD ANG MGA PROSECUTORS. ANG ISDA NGA NAMAN NABIBINGWIT SA BIBIG . MAY TAMA KA TORNI DI SA KANYA LAHAT YAN , SA KURAKOT GALING AT SA MGA PADULAS NG MGA MAY PABOR SA KASO SA KORTE. TAPOS ANG BOKSING.