Prosecution laughs off defense's claim on terminated accounts

Monday, February 20, 2012

LAWYERS of Chief Justice Renato Corona made the "most outrageous" excuse when they claimed that the termination of three bank accounts on the same day their client was impeached had something to do with the corporation of the magistrate's wife, the prosecution panel said.

Last week, Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) representatives disclosed that three peso accounts under Corona's name were closed on December 12, 2011, the same day the Chief Justice was impeached at the House of Representatives.

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Corona's counsels then explained that the accounts were closed since the money was not his but belongs to Basa Guidote Enterprises Inc. (BGEI), a corporation owned by his wife, Cristina.

The defense lawyers said BGEI in 2001 earned P34 million after one of its properties was expropriated by the City of Manila.

But House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III said it was quite obvious that Corona and his defense counsels were running out of alibis to justify the lawful source of the money the Chief Justice used to purchase pricey condominium properties and the existence of huge bank deposits.

"When Mr. Corona's condominium buying-spree first came to light, his lawyers immediately attributed his capacity to buy to the windfall earned by his wife's corporation. Now that his PSBank deposits have been exposed as well, his lawyers are singing the same tune – that it came from the same expropriation proceedings," Tañada said.

Tañada said Corona and his lawyers were again employing the same "Galing Kay Misis" defense after the Senate impeachment court uncovered his huge peso accounts with PSBank.

Representatives Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara and Romero Frederico “Miro” Quimbo, also speaking for the prosecution, were, however, puzzled that the money allegedly belonging to BGEI was deposited in Corona’s account when Cristina and her relatives were engaged in litigation over the Basa-Guidote estate.

"The defense panel stopped short of saying that the reason the money was there was to protect it from an ongoing legal case between Mrs. Corona and her kin. Are they saying that the Coronas deliberately hid the BGEI money under the chief magistrate's account so that the other party could not touch it? This is hard to justify and hard to believe," Quimbo said.

Quimbo said the explanation of the defense lawyers raised more questions than answers. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)