No not that Corona! We are talking about the Chief Justice in the Philippines that seems to have accumulated more than a life-times salary in a matter of no time and it seems to be creating a bit of a stir as to where did all come from, or more importantly how much has been stolen from the Philippines people as well as favourable business deals for the Chief Justice.
A recently uncovered document shows that during October of 2008 a U.S. Dollar account was opened by the Chief Justice with an opening balance of, wait for it $700,000 at the PSBank Katipunan branch in Quezon City.
This valued at that time was valued in pesos at approx P34 million pesos not bad for the salary of a Chief Justice. Or should we say impossible for a chief justice to have earned that much never mind have it in savings.
Lead prosecutor Niel Tupas Jr. and co-prosecutor Joseph Emilio Abaya have told the Impeachment Court that “moneys, cash and funds were not included by respondent in his SALNs (Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth).”
The prosecutors have also identified 14 other accounts held by Corona at PSBank.
Renato Coronado Corona is named as PSBank Customer Number 334346 with account number 089-19100037-3.
The document shows his specimen signatures, and indicates his occupation as associate justice of the Supreme Court.
The document leaves no doubt as to the ownership of the account because the chief justice’s spouse is identified in the same document as Corona, Ma. Christina Roco, with an attached photocopy of the details of Chief Justice’s own passport.
Any bets on walking away free though? This is the Philippines remember and justice is only as big as your bank balance.
The branch manager of PSBank Katipunan is expected at the hearing on Tuesday, February 7.
Subpoena has been requested for the bank personnel to bring account opening forms, monthly statement of account, deposit and withdrawal slips, checks, as well as debit and credit memos.
Prosecutors have expressed amazement at how the Chief Justice has managed to be very liquid, depositing substantial sums in bank accounts while at the same time engaged in a buying spree of high-end real estate properties.
Aside from the US-700K account, prosecutors have also requested for subpoena on the 14 other accounts that Chief Justice Corona supposedly maintains with PSBank Katipunan.
Defense counsel Karen Jimeno said that disclosure of information about this could only be made after a waiver has been issued by the depositor.
She said that the ploy of the prosecution to introduce the bank accounts of Corona in the impeachment trial is a sign that they do not have any strong evidence to prove its allegations under Article 2.
PSBank has also issued a statement declaring that foreign currency deposits are “absolutely confidential.”/PN
As stated above the brass neck of it all is that they will manipulate the laws to suit themselves the fact that its “private and confidential” even if common knowledge could make it admisable in court. Although obviously guilty he will still have a good run at slipping through the Philippines legal system like many others before him.
