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Bacolod City, Philippines Thursday, January 19, 2012
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‘Corona SALNs back
ill-gotten wealth raps’

MANILA -- The prosecution panel of the House of Representatives last night said that the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona that were submitted to the Senate Impeachment Court, supported Article 2 of Impeachment, of the chief magistrate's unexplained wealth.

Marikina Rep. Romero Federico Quimbo, one of the spokesmen of the prosecution team, in a press briefing, that the chief justice declared P18-million worth of assets in 2010 despite having acquired five condominium units, including one supposedly worth P14.5 million.

"I don’t think you can fit in five condominium properties here," he said.

The House prosecution said that, based on the SALNs of Corona that were submitted to the Senate Impeachment Court as evidence, Corona declared assets of P13.9 million in 2002; and from 2003 to 2009 the chief magistrate's declared assets were "almost identical" at P14.59 million.

The prosecution team made the revelation after the Senate Impeachment Court compelled Supreme Court clerk of court Enriqueta Esguerra-Vidal to release Corona’s SALNs filed from 2002 to 2010 during his time at the High Tribunal.

Corona had earlier admitted to acquiring a P14.5-million condominium unit at the posh Bellagio I Tower in Taguig City in December 2009.

Meanwhile, the House prosecution team called the turning over of Corona's SALNs to the Senate Impeachment Court "a big day for transparency."

"This is a very good development for the country. It’s a big day for transparency," said Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, one of three spokesmen of the prosecution panel.

He thanked the senator-judges "for helping to shed light on a topic when there was complete darkness."

Angara noted that "it’s been 22 years since the SALN of the Supreme Court justice has been made public" due to a resolution issued by then Supreme Court Chief Justice Marcelo Fernan in 1989.

Corona's SALNs were subpoenaed by the Senate Impeachment Court upon the request of the prosecution, which will present them as evidence to prove Article 2 of Impeachment against the Chief Justice pertaining to his unexplained assets.

"In our complaint we’ve alleged that there’s ill-gotten wealth and it (SALN) would help towards proving that," said Angara.

House Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo "Erin" Tanada III, another spokesman for the prosecution team, said the documents will help them to pursue their case of amassing illegal wealth against the chief magistrate.

But Supreme Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said Corona himself allowed the release of his SALNs.

At a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Marquez, who is also SC spokesman, said the fact that Vidal brought along the subpoenaed documents with her to the impeachment court shows "there is every intention to comply with the subpoena of the impeachment court."

“It is consistent with the earlier decision of the Chief Justice to release the SALN," Marquez said. "There seems to be no problem at all anymore; anyway the Chief Justice already authorized the release of the SALN."

Defense panel, lawyer Tranquil Salvador III said Corona is not bothered by the turnover of his SALN to the Senate impeachment court.*PNA

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