BIR chief sees discrepancies in Corona’s SALN

Monday, February 6, 2012

MANILA -- Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said there were discrepancies in the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) filed by Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2002 to 2010.

Henares disclosed the said discrepancies during the prosecution panel’s redirect examination Monday, prompting the presiding officer, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, to question whether Henares was qualified as an expert witness and is competent to testify on SALN discrepancies.

The BIR chief said that for the years 2002 and 2003, Corona failed to declare nine Marikina properties in his SALN.

In 2004, Corona did not declare his condominium unit at The Columns in Makati and Diliman property in Quezon City. His net worth should have been at P21 million but he only declared P7 million.

In 2005, the Chief Justice’s declared net worth should have been P31 million compared to P8 million. For 2007, Corona declared P11 million but should have declared P24 million. There was a disparity of P13 million in 2008 after Corona declared only P12 million instead of P25 million, Henares also said. The BIR chief failed to provide figures for the year 2006.

In 2009, Corona did not declare his P14.5-million Bellagio property. He should have stated a net worth of P52 million instead of P14.5 million, Henares said.

The BIR chief’s testimony was based on Corona’s SALNs, income tax returns, land titles and Certificate Authorizing Registration (CAR).

Lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas asked the impeachment tribunal to strike out her testimony on the said discrepancies but private prosecutor Arthur Lim insisted that it was the defense panel who raised the SALN issue during its cross examination two weeks ago.

“Nagtataka kami, pag 'di nagustuhan ng defense ang testimony, sila nagpapa-strike out,” prosecution panel spokesperson Romero Frederico “Miro” Quimbo said in a press briefing.

“We should remember that the BIR is an integral part of SALN mandatory submission. It is the Supreme Court itself which said that the SALN is a way to prevent graft and corruption,” he stressed.

Henares also admitted during the trial that they are investigating the income tax returns filed by the Chief Justice from 1992 to 2010. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)