'Condo ni Corona may tagas kaya binabaan ang presyo'

Nagkatagas daw kasi ang penthouse unit nila sa the Bellagio dahil sa isang bagyo noong 2008 kaya imbes na ang kumpanya ang magpaayos ng condo unit, nagpasya silang ibenta ito nang mas mababa ang presyo sa sinumang bibili.

Nagkataon daw na ang buyer ay isang nagngangalang Renato Corona.

Twenty-four million pesos ang halaga ng isang penthouse unit sa The Bellagio sa Taguig.

Pero nakuha ito ni Chief Justice Renato Corona noong 2008 sa halagang P14.5 million.

Sinabi kahapon ng prosekusyon na posibleng pagpabor sa mga kaso ng Megaworld Corporation sa Korte Suprema ang kapalit ng 40% diskuwento.

Pero iba ang paliwanag ni Noli Hernandez, ang marketing director ng Megaworld at unang testigo ng prosekusyon sa ika-9 na araw ng paglilitis.

“Unfortunately there was a typhoon and the unit sustained some water damage. We decided that it was going to cost us more to have it re-done and it made more economic sense for us to give it at a steep discount,” sabi ni Hernandez.

Mula P24 million, ginawang P19.6 million ang presyo ng condo dahil bukod sa may tagas ay hindi pa ito yari nang ibenta.

Bumaba pa ito dahil nagbayad daw si Corona sa loob lang ng isang taon.

Aminado si Hernandez na hindi ito madalas gawin ng Megaworld.

Hernandez: We never would have given the P5 million in price had the unit not been damaged by the typhoon.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile: The discount was not because of any favor but because of the force majeure?

Hernandez: Yes, Your Honor.

Tanong naman ng depensa, bibigyan din ba ng ganitong diskuwento ang ibang bibili ng condo?

Defense panel head Serafin Cuevas: So definitely the reduction is not because the buyer is a certain Corona?

Hernandez: No, sir.

Cuevas: Whether it is Juan dela Cruz or anybody else, you would have reduced the price because of the condition of the unit when it was sold?

Hernandez: That is correct, sir.

Dagdag pa ni Hernandez, natalo pa ang Megaworld sa 2 kaso sa Korte Suprema kung saan kabilang sa nagdesisyon si Corona.

Duda naman ang ilang senador sa sinabi ni Hernandez na may sira ang condo unit kaya binabaan ang presyo.

Senador Sergio Osmeña III: You have photographs of the unit as it was damaged?

Hernandez: None, sir.

Osmeña: You did not file any insurance claims on it?

Hernandez: No, sir.

Osmeña: You did not?

Hernandez: Not that I know of, sir.

Osmeña: Will you please check? Because it is very normal that in any sort of damage, there is a claim that is made and photographs are taken. We are trying to probe if that reason is valid. That’s why we are asking for photos because in my experience, water damage is one of the least that can happen to a property as far as damage is concerned. You are saying that the unit was semi-bare. Will you please describe what a 'semi-bare' means?

Hernandez: It’s not a hundred percent finished.

Osmeña: And you did not finish it before you handed it over to the new owner?

Hernandez: No, sir. We did not have the chance to do that.

Osmeña: You mean to say the new owner moved in and did all the finishing himself?

Hernandez: We just turned it over to the new owner.

Osmeña: Contract would all reflect representations and warranties particularly in a condominium building so we doubt very much if you’re being very accurate this afternoon.

Ang ibang senador naman, kinuwestyon ang kinalaman ng testimonya ni Hernandez sa dinidinig na Article 2 ng impeachment complaint o ang hindi pagsasapubliko at pagsisinungaling diumano ni Corona sa kanyang Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN).

“I do not understand how I will now, as a senator-judge, take this testimony that is being heard,” sabi ni Senador Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“There was also a statement your honor that the respondent has to shoulder P5 million for the repair of the unit. Insofar as that P5 million is concerned, Your Honor, that would be an improvement insofar as the property is concerned. Therefore, normally it should be included as an added value to property,” sabi ni Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. ng House prosecution panel.

“The filing is not a ministerial act. It is not the act of filing itself which would satisfy the requirement of the Constitution. It is the filing of a truthful and accurate SALN,” sabi naman ni Senador Franklin Drilon.

Giit ng prosekusyon, hindi nilagay ni Corona sa kanyang SALN ang tamang presyo ng condo.

At dahil nakaladkad ang kanilang pangalan sa impeachment, naglabas ng pahayag ang Megaworld kung saan itinatanggi nila na binigyan nila ng pabor si Corona kapalit ng paborableng desisyon sa mga nabinbin nilang kaso sa Supreme Court.

Inutusan naman ng impeachment court si Hernandez na magdala ng kopya ng price list ng Bellagio para maikumpara nila ang presyo ng iba’t ibang condo unit doon at ang engineer’s report ng sinasabi niyang sira sa condo unit na naging dahilan kaya ito ibinenta sa mas murang halaga.

Samantala, pinagsabihan naman ni Enrile ang prosekusyon na kausapin muna ang mga testigo nila bago isalang ang mga ito.

Lumalabas daw kasi kanina na hindi nakausap ng prosekusyon si Hernandez base sa pagtatanong nila.

Halimbawa, sinabi ng testigo na isa sa mga dahilan kaya nila ibinenta ng mura ang condo unit ay dahil kailangan nila maabot ang target dahil apektado sila ng financial crisis sa Amerika noong 2008.

Inilabas naman ng prosekusyon ang annual report ng Megaworld na nagsasabing maganda ang kita at performance nito noong taong iyon.

Sabi ni Enrile, ang tendency ng prosekusyon ay gisahin ang sarili nilang testigo at hindi niya ito pinayagan.

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