Delos Santos: ‘CJ’s many properties’

Saturday, February 4, 2012

WITH the long list of properties he had acquired, the simple-minded world readily come to the conclusion that SC Chief Justice Corona had really taken advantage of his position as Chief Justice to amass these many properties.

A closer look however would show that the list appears to be very long because they included titles on the garage of his apartments and even those belongings to his son-in-law. Some were even owned by persons Corona did not know from Adam.

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Worse, the list included residential lots he brought way back in the 1980’s when Corona was just a practicing lawyer who never dreamed of eventually sitting on the high court. Those owned by his children and in-laws are made to appear as if Corona were the owner and must have given it to his in-laws to hide the fact of his ownership.

When prosecutors dug into these records, they grabbed everything that has a Corona name on it. What is more deceptive in that they pegged Corona’s residential houses and condominiums at their present market prices and not at the acquisition cost which is much lower when be bought then.

If all they have against Corona are these assets they say is more than P200 million, then he must be a very incompetent grafter for amassing what is mere peanuts to our own grafters here in Bacolod. One councilor I know loses millions in just one night at the Casino. The smallest transaction in City Hall earns them an average of P10-15million. Just one additional “bid arrangement” nets some of them a million or two.

And considering that they have been in office longer than Corona, you can just imagine how much their loot would be now or how much would it be before the Bacolod electorate realizes they’ve been had and boots out these bandits for City Hall.

*****

Judging from the harsh exchanges between Leonardia and his 2010 partner, Cong. Golez, it appears that they have burned their bridges behind them.
It’s not surprising though.

Their subalterns have been fighting their proxy war right after their election in 2010 that its only a matter of time before they themselves begin to tear at each other. The open warfare between the congressman and the mayor is being jump-started by what City Hall grandly calls “disaster risk reduction summit” for Western Visayas which it is committed to host.

I think Golez has a point there. The “risk reduction summit” is a shot on the moon, which will later be remembered as one of those grandstanding for which Leonardia is unequalled.

On the other hand, basic problems like the periodic flooding and absence of a health program for the legions of needy citizens, and the incompetent collection of garbage are left practically wilting under the sun.

If there is something terribly wanting in Leonardia, it is competence in dealing with the city’s basic problems. Of course, his administrations’ expertise is in raiding the city’s coffers, with his Voltes 5 as chief gunners.

Bacolod’s tragedy lies in its adoration of Leonardia. For the coming elections, he is expected to coast smoothly into Congress as there seems to be no one who can possibly challenge him. This explains why the rumor of 3rd District Congressman Albee Benitez migrating to Bacolod and aiming for the city’s congressional seat is viewed with much excitement by those who look at Leonardia as a curse on Bacolod.

It is only Benitez, with his demonstrated expertise in serving his district, who can possibly beat Leonardia. And I was told he has the resources to wage a successful campaign aimed at exiling Leonardia into the political wilderness.

And his money, if ever spent in his Bacolod campaign, is clean money.
Unlike that of someone we know.