CJ Corona Impeachment Trial May 22, 2012 Full Script

Anyway, below is a full script of what has happened on todays CJ Corona Impeachment Trial May 22, 2012. It’s quite long, but it is time stamped.

CJ Corona has finally appeared and took the trial stand today, May 22, 2012. CJ Corona had a long introduction and opening statement just to say he is not guilty. Unfortunately, at around 5 PM, he signed a waiver to waive his right of Secrecy of Bank Deposits, allowing the banks to disclose all his assets both foreign and local.

• 2:01: Trial resumes.
• 2:02: Sen. Ralph Recto led the opening prayer
• 2:03: Roll call is being held.
• 2:04: All 23 Senator-Judges are present.
• 2:05: Prosecution and Defense entered their appearances.
• 2:07: JPE: I would like to remind all of us, members of the Senate that we are not conducting this inquiry in aid of legislation. We are receivers of evidence. We are not an inquisitorial court.
• 2:08: JPE: With that in mind, this court cannot issue subpoena to certain persons to act as witnesses (referring to bank managers of banks mentioned in the 17 page AMLC report)
• 2:09: JPE denies the motion to call witnesses motu proprio to testify in this proceeding.
• 2:09: On Harvey Keh contempt. He filed compliance on May 18 and prayed that he not be cited in contempt.
• 2:11: JPE: In view of the apology given by the gentleman cited and in the spirit of liberality, this court simply admonishes the person concerned never to try his luck again.
• 2:11: Session suspended for 1 minute.
• 2:13: JPE: Before we administer the oath to the Chief Justice, the members of the court is respectfully requested by this chair to observe the 2 minute rule, limit their question to questions of fact and to help in orderly proceedings in this trial. Should any member of this require more time, an extension will be allowed for him or her.
• 2:14: JPE: We finish with the direct exam and the cross exam of the prosecution and if there is any redirect, let it be done and if there is any re-cross, let it be completed before any members of this impeachment court ask question.
• 2:15: JPE: I would like to request the gallery to observe straight decorum.
• 2:18: JPE: Mr. Chief Justice, welcome to the impeachment court.
• 2:21: Cuevas: It is his belief that insofar as his cross exam, the rules of evidence say, he may only be crossed examined in matters taken in the direct.
• 2:23: Cuevas told the Impeachment Court that the Chief Justice opted to appear because of their oath to be impartial. JPE thanked Cuevas for reminding and he assured that the Senators can render impartial justice.
• 2:24: JPE: Insofar as judging this case, we will judge this case based on evidence of the prosecution and defense.
• 2:26: Private Prosec. Bautista: There has been never any compulsion for the CJ to testify.
• 2:27: Prosec. Mario Bautista said he disagrees with Justice Cuevas view on the rules of evidence.
• 2:29: CJ Corona asked that he be allowed to make a statement.
• 2:31: CJ: Ako po ay nandito sa impeachment court na ito upang tumupad sa aking pangako na ako ay magpapaliwanag ng lahat. kailangan po sigurong tanungin ng sambayanan kung bakit tayo nagkaka-impeachment trial na ito. Hindi naman po kaila sa lahat na ginamit na ng administrasyon ang buong makinarya ng gobyerno sa akin. Ibinuhos na po ang buong pwersa ng pamahalaan para lang sa pagtanggal ng isang tao. Wag tayong maniwala na itong impeachment trial na ito ay laban sa katiwalian dahil kung ganon din lamang mayroon ba silang katiwaliang ibinintang sa kin sa kabila ng pagkakalkal at paghaharap ng huwad na ebidensya, wala pong ibinibintang sa akin na katiwalian.
• 2:32: CJ Corona: Ako po ba ay tinik sa lalamunan ng sinuman? So far, lahat ng nakita ko rito mula ng simula ng trial na ito ay hatred, galit, benggansya sa isang tao. Kailan po ba tayo matututo? Sa kabuuan ng kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, ganito ang nangyayari. Tama na ang pagkakawatak watak ng sambayanan.
• 2:34: CJ Corona: Sa ating administrasyon ng hindi po lahat ng hindi kaalyado ay kalaban. Hindi porket hindi magkapareho ng kulay ay hindi Pilipino. Bakit po ba ganito na lang ang galit sa kin ng kasalukuyang administrasyong Aquino. Ano ba ang kasalanan ko. Wala akong kasalanan sa pagkakaalam ko kaya ako ay buo ang loob na humaharap sa inyo. Sigurado ako wala akong kasalanan, wala akong katiwalian at ako ay hindi nagnakaw sa gobyerno.
• 2:36: CJ Corona: I will not drag my family dito sa impeachment na ito kung sa loob ko, may katiting na dahilan may duda sa sarili ko ay may ginaway akong masama. Hindi ko po itataya ang aking napakabait na may bahay aking tatlong anak at mga apo. Kung ako ay may kasalanan, ako ay nagbitiw na sa tungkulin. Malinis po ang aking konsensya…uulitin ko po malinis po ang aking konsensya. Malinis ang konsensya ng aking pamilya.
• 2:36: JPE interrupts. Kami po ay naghihintay na sabihin ang inyong pakay sana.
• 2:37: CJ Corona: Ito pong aking sinasabi ngayon ay pinatutungkol ko ay hindi lamang sa kagalang galang na impeachment court kundi sa sambayanang Pilipino. Kaya po ako ay nandito at nagpapaliwanag.
• 2:38: CJ Corona: Kalbaryo po ang pinagdadaanan namin. Hindi po madali ang limang buwang pinagdaanan…Sa kabila ng pagbabanta ng kahihiyan, malakas po ang loob ko sapagkat malinis po ang aking konsensya. Iisa lang po ang paliwanang d’yan, walang katotohanan at pawang kasinungalinan.
• 2:39: CJ Corona mentions a senator: Huhubaran nya raw ako sa publiko.
• 2:40: CJ Corona: Kung ako ay nagbitaw na sa tungkulin, nangangahulugan non, umatras ako sa laban, nanalo na ang kabila without having to prove anything. Hindi po ganito ang aking kinalakhan.
• 2:41: CJ Corona: Bakit po ba pondo po ba ito ng bayan? Ito po ba ay kinurakot ng punong mahistrado (about his alleged ill-gotten wealth) Iisa lang po ang sagot namin d’yan, Hindi po. Uulitin ko po: Hindi po.
• 2:42: CJ Corona: Lahat ng aming naipundar ay dahil sa aming pagsisikap. Bago po ako nagsilbi sa gobyerno, ako ay isang matagumpay na abogado na. Hindi tulad ng pinalalabas ng prosekusyon na ako ay kung sinu-sino lamang sa tabi tabi d’yan na bigla na lang yumaman.
• 2:43: CJ Corona: Simple po lamang ang aming pamumuhay, hindi po kami namuhay ng luho. Lahat ng nakakakilala sa amin ang makakapagsabi kung gaano kasimple ang aming buhay.
• 2:44: CJ Corona: Binaboy nila ang proseso ng saligang-batas para yurakan ang aking pagkatao.
• 2:46: Lead Prosecutor Niel Tupas now sat beside Private Prosecutor Mario Bautista.
• 2:46: CJ Corona: Kaisa ako na panagutin ang may kasalanan.
• 2:48: CJ Corona: Ito lang po ang tanong ko sa bayan at sa prosekusyon, kung talagang malakas ang inyong kaso, bakit ninyo kailangang magimbento ng ebidensya? Bakit kailangan ng black propaganda? Bakit kailangang humantong sa madumi at masakit na paraan. Naway wag na itong maulit.
• 2:49: Bautista interrupts the Chief Justice.
• 2:49: Bautista said it is highly irregular.
• 2:50: JPE said his understanding is that the CJ is making a statement which will be a part of his direct testimony.
• 2:51: CJ Corona: Ginoong Prosecutor Kausap ko po ang taong bayan. Hayaan nyo po ako na kausapin ang taong bayan.
• 2:51: Corona mentions Hacienda Luisita as the primary reason why he is being impeached.
• 2:55: JPE asked CJ Corona how many more minutes he has. The CJ said the country needs to know who he is and to correct the black propaganda against him and his family.
• 2:58: CJ Corona said they were able to save money because of their simple lifestyle.
• 2:58: CJ Corona already on the verge of tears.
• 2:59: Cuevas asked at least 2 minute break.
• 3:05: 2 minute break granted.
• 3:11: JPE allowed CJ Corona to finish his statement.
• 3:11: CJ Corona: Papasok na po ako sa mga bagay at issue na hinihintay ng sambayanan.
• 3:13: CJ Corona: Several trial dates ago, merong testigo dito nagsiwalat ng bagay bagay tungkol sa Basa-Guidote. Ang dahilan kung bakit wala kaming hilig maginvest sa properties at mahilig kaming mag-invest sa foreign exchange.
• 3:14: CJ Corona: May isang hearing dates tayo na kung ano anong masamang adjective ang naipukol sa aking maybahay. Hindi po ninyo maiintindihan yan kung di ko maibibigay ang background sa hidwaan sa pamilya ng aking maybahay
• 3:15: CJ Corona: Ang pinakamalaking hidwaan ay ang 2 hectare doon sa Libis, malapit sa Eastwood.
• 3:17: CJ Corona: Noong araw, ang titulo ng lupang yan, ang presyo conservatively ay P2 billion. Noon ito ay nasa pangalan ni Jose Basa III at nong aking mother-in-law Asuncion Basa-Roco. Hindi po namin malaman kung pano napagissue si Mr. Jose Basa ng titulo doon sa property na iyon at nakapagpa issue at nawala ang pangalan ng aking mother-in-law. Yan ang isang napakalaking dahilan sa hidwaan ng pamilyang yan. Dahil sa matinding samaang loob. Nawala ang kalahating share ng mother-in-law ko. Ang problema kasi sa pamilya nila, napakayaman pero ang kanilang ari-arian ay nakatali sa property.
• 3:17: CJ Corona: Alam naman nating mga abogado, pag kayo nagpamana ng property, maraming beses, away.
• 3:19: CJ Corona: yan ang pinagsisimulan ng mga kaso-kaso. Five months na po kaming ininsulto ng walang tigil sa isang pahayagan kung bakit ganun kaswapang ang aking maybahay. Hindi po wala pong katotohanan yan. Hindi po si Mr. Jose Basa ang inapi. Sya ang nang api sa aking mother in law.
• 3:20: CJ Corona: Kami po ay tumahimik lamang. Bakit kami walang imik? Sapagkat yung tao ay patay na pero ngayon, mapipilitan akong isiwalat sa taong bayan ang katotohanan. Maliban sa pagkaka issue ng bagong titulo, si Mr. Basa po, I am sorry to say this, pero kailangang malaman ng bayan, wala po syang trabaho eh. Buong buhay po spoiled brat, kung may kailangan takbo kay Lola Charing.
• 3:21: CJ Corona: Ang natira pong property sa matanda ay yung property sa Sampaloc na pati yon ay gustong ibenta ni Mr. Jose Basa.
• 3:23: CJ Corona: Mawalang galang na po pero ang tanong nyo bakit parang napaka tuso ng aking asawa…
• 3:24: CJ Corona: Pinasalaysay ko sa aking anak na si Carla kung ano ang nangyari.
• 3:24: CJ Corona reads letter of Carla.
• 3:24: “The auction complied with the requirements of the law. Mommy went to Quezon city with lawyers.”
• 3:27: CJ Corona reading the letter: The risk of buying shares of Basa-guidote was explained to me.
• 3:29: CJ Corona explains the conflict in the Basa-Guidote family.
• 3:29: CJ Corona reading Carla’s letter: My mother (Cristina) was very careful not to use my Dad’s influence.
• 3:30: CJ Corona on the letter: If my mother would use my…
• 3:30: …Dad’s influence, would these cases be pending for 20 years?”
• 3:31: The letter of Carla Corona-Castillo said several cases are still pending.
• 3:32: CJ Corona: Now who is oppressing whom. My mother was the victim of a very grievous crime.
• 3:32: CJ Corona still reading the letter: Jose Ma. Basa and Raymunda fled the country.
• 3:34: Carla said she knows about the cases about the shares of stock. She said she knows the risk that is why she is only willing to spend only up to P50,000 to buy the shares.
• 3:36: Carla, in her letter said “after weighing the pros and cons decided to invest my money. I told my mom that I am willing to spend as high as P50,000…There was nobody else who showed up at the auction. I cannot stress enough that there was a great risk…No one else wants to sink in their money in such a corporation.
• 3:36: Carla said “I was also told that the lower my bid, it would be easy for Jose Basa to redeem my bid…but they did not.”
• 3:37: Carla said “it was only fair that mommy be paid of damages.”
• 3:38: JPE: Asked what names were used? Corona: Sa pagkakaalala ko po, nakagulang, nakaisa.
• 3:39: JPE said he only asked if Mrs. Corona objected because the judgment was P500,000 and there is the P34 million.
• 3:40: JPE: Then at least the bid price would be half a million. But I understand, in order to be fair to everybody, the sheriff said the valuation of shares was provided by Mrs. Corona. What I said was did Mrs. corona raise any objection.
• 3:41: CJ Corona: Gusto ko sana magkasundo sundo sila pero di ko na kayang pagkasundu sunduin sila.
• 3:42: CJ Corona said seeing the conflict in buying properties, they have decided to invest in foreign exchange.
• 3:42: CJ Corona: At para mas madali po hati hatiin pag may mangyayari sa amin. idi-divide lang po into three.
• 3:44: JPE: This issue of ill-gotten wealth was not provided by the prosecution, it was provided by your own lawyers who presented a witness here to testify on the totality of the income of your family.
• 3:45: JPE: There is no issue of ill-gotten wealth here. The simple issue here is inclusion or exclusion of your SALN.
• 3:46: JPE: So for the introduction of evidence regarding wealth that is dishonestly acquired will bring back into the picture para. 2.4.2 of the Articles of Impeachment which we already granted to be suppressed as far as introduction of evidence is concerned.
• 3:46: JPE cautioned CJ Corona that he will be opening himself for cross examination if he will continue discussing alleged ill-gotten wealth.
• 3:47: CJ Corona opted to proceed.
• 3:48: CJ Corona calls the list of 45 properties as exaggerated and a fraud.
• 3:48: CJ Corona: Pati po ako ay nagulat.
• 3:50: CJ Corona: Wala po akong 45 properties. Lilima lang po at lahat ay nakadeklara sa aking SALN. Wala po akong tinago na ari arian na hindi ko nilagay sa aking SALN. Kahit na ang binabatikos sa aking SALN. Kahit binabatikos ako bakit di ko nilagay ang acquisition cost, nakalagay naman po ang aking asset. It is something that I am not hiding because it can be checked anytime.
• 3:50: CJ Corona: Hindi ko naman alam ang fairmarket value ng kasalukuyan.
• 3:51: CJ Corona: Maaaring hindi tugma pero at least ina-update po ito periodically ng assessor.
• 3:53: CJ Corona now talks about alleged properties abroad.
• 3:53: CJ Corona: Galing sa isang pekeng manunulat na nagpapanggap na isang journalist.
• 3:55: CJ Corona: Nung pinatawag namin si Ombudsman, hati po ang nagmamagandang loob sa amin, may nagsabing tila nagkamali yata kayo sa pagpatawag sa kanya. Mayron ding nagsasabi na tamang ipatawag si Omb. Conchita Carpio-Morales. Ako po naniniwala na tama ang pagpapatawag namin kay Ombudsman Morales. Sabi ni Ombudsman ako raw po ay may $10-12 million dollars sa 82 bank accounts.
• 3:57: CJ Corona: Ewan ko lang po kay Ombudsman Morales baka sya mayroon. Ako ay nagulat sa sinabi ni Ombudsman Morales lalu na nung sya ay may power point presentation. Ito pong AMLC report ay hindi po authenticated, walang predicate crime, walang imbestigasyon, walang court order, walang notice sa depositor. Clearly it came from a polluted source. Tumawag po ako ng team ng accountants upang pagaralang ang listahan na winagayway ni Ombudsman Morales at maliwanang po na ang kanyang testimony is misrepresentation.
• 3:58: CJ Corona asked Senate if he can use powerpoint presentation.
• 3:58: JPE granted.
• 3:58: JPE suspends session for one minute to prepare.
• 4:20: The powerpoint presentation is entitled “The Lantern”
• 4:21: CJ Corona said he will use the own diagram of the Ombudsman.
• 4:22: JPE: Since the Honorable CJ, if there is any objectionable portion, you may raise your objection and the court will consider your objection.
• 4:25: Bautista said part of the testimony of the Chef Justice is hearsay and irrelevant.
• 4:26: Bautista denounced the allegation of the Chief Justice.
• 4:26: Bautista: To cast aspersions on my team is unfair.
• 4:26: JPE said they will consider what is relevant, irrelevant.
• 4:30: CJ Corona: A careful analysis of the AMLC report show that many of these accounts were already closed and many were transferred to settlement accounts. Each time a time deposit would mature and rolled over, a new account would be created to make a new placement to earn higher interest and would be transferred from one account to another to earn more interest. I repeat, ladies and gentlemen, inuulit ko po wala akong 82 bank accounts as charged by the Ombudsman. The alleged AMLC report would show 4 accounts by December 2012. for example in BPI Acropolis, all accounts were closed as early as 2004 and transferred to BPI Tandang sora and PS Bank Cainta.
• 4:32: CJ Corona: For BPI Tandang Sora, the accounts were closed in 2007 and transferred to BPI San Francisco Del Monte and Cainta. The same goes BPI San Francisco Del Monte, accounts closed in 2011. The last was account no 3244108104 BPI Mic was sourced from BPI San Francisco Del Monte acct was closed on Dec. 19, 2011 and transferred to 3244108104.
• 4:34: CJ: All accounts in PS bank Cainta were closed in 2008 and transferred to PS Bank katipunan…
• 3. PS Bank accounts- 0141024292 and 0131002826
• 2. Allied Bank with account no. 1582002676
• 1. BPI San Francisco Del Monte Branch with account no. 3244108104;
• 4:36: CJ Corona said remaining dollar accounts are:
• 4:39: CJ Corona: ang sumatotal ng aking deposits ay malayong malayo sa $10 million. Ang exchange rate po nung nag umpisa kaming magipon nitong mga foreign exchange na ito noong late 60s ay nasa 2 to 1. Nung ako ay nagsimulang magtrabaho 1968. Kung matatandaan po ninyo noong matapos ang 1969 Presidential elections, hanggang noong Dec. of Nov. 1969 ang exchange rate po ay 2 to 1 at nag devalue tayo sa floating rate from 2 to 1 naging 6 to 1.
• 4:40: CJ Corona: Lahat po ng savings namin ay pinalitan namin sa US Dollar. Bakit? Dahil wala kayong lugi sa US dollar dahil ito ay stable kung ikukumpara sa pesos. Ikaw ay liquid.
• 4:41: CJ Corona: Dahil halos di namin nagagalaw ng interes dahil ako naman po ay may trabaho, lumago po ng lumago ang aming investments.
• 4:43: CJ Corona: Wala akong ninakaw kahit isang kusing. Wala akong ninakaw kahit isang pera (he looked at the prosecution)
• 4:44: CJ Corona: Bakit wala sa SALN ko? Dahil may batas po na naggagarantiya ng confidentiality ng dollar deposits. Di ito kailangan dahil sa batas. This is an absolute rule.
• 4:45: CJ Corona: Kung ako ay may tinago, hindi ko ito ilalagay sa pangalan ko.
• 4:46: JPE: Yung dollar deposits earning interest or are you engaged in buying and selling. CJ said compounded interest.
• 4:46: CJ Corona said he only have 3 (three) local deposit accounts in pesos.
• 4:52: CJ Corona: Bakit di ko dineklara ito sa SALN ko? Sapagkat ito ay commingled funds. Ito ay proceeds sa pagbili sa Basa-Guidote property. Ito ay kumita ng interest anjan din po yan. Noong 1990, ng ang aking ina ay na-diagnose na may colon cancer, inihabilin po nya ang bank accounts nya sa akin. Ikaw na ang bhala sa pagbayad sa mga doktor ko, pagoospital ko, lahat ng funeral expenses ko. Nanjan din po ang utos ng aking ina na kung may matitira pagtapos mabayaran ang kanyang mga doktor, hospital bills, at funeral expenses, ang natitira po ay pangangasiwaan ko para kung sino man ang mangangailangan for any emergency at ito ay nagkatotoo sapagkat ang aking nakatatandang kapatid, ang aking Kuya toti si Arturo, 2 years ago ay nagkasakit sa puso, matagal na syang di nakakapagtrabaho dahil sya ay sakitin, maliban sa kanyang sakit sa puso, sya ay may scoliosis. He is in constant pain, Dito ko po kinukuha dahil di na po sya nakakapagtrabaho. Dito po kinukuha ang binibigay ko sa kanya tuwing buwan, mga gamot nya at nung sya ay naconfine sa Medical City na halos P1million nagastos namin ay dito kinuha. Anjan din po ang interest. Pera po ng aking anak na si Carla at Francis na kino-mingled jan para mas makakuha ng interest. Pati po ang pera ng aking anak na si Charina para mapagpagawa ang bahay nya sa McKinley Hill.
• 4:52: CJ Corona sheds tear as he talked about his mother.
• 4:54: CJ Corona: i have come here to disclose information regarding these accounts especially the dollar accounts.
• 4:55: CJ Corona said why he did not declare his dollar accounts in his SALN is not his own doing but it was the law.
• 4:56: CJ Corona: The inaccuracies in my SALN do not constitute an impeachable offense. Not every omission is an impeachable offense. The prosecution itself admitted here, the inaccuracy in SALN is not impeachable, not high crime. Corona sites Senate TSN of trial on February.
• 4:58: CJ Corona: I have here with me a waiver which I will sign right now.
• 5:01: CJ Corona reads his waiver he just signed: I Renato Corona hereby waive my right of Secrecy of Bank Deposits…and authorized all banking institutions to disclose to the public any and all bank documents pertaining to all peso and foreign currency accounts under my name. I hereby authorize the BIR, AMLC, SEC and LRA to disclose to the public any and all information that will show my assets, liabilities, networth, business interest and financial connections to include those of my spouse. I am likewise authorizing the Clerk of Court en banc to release to the public my SALN from the years 2002 to 2011. With God and the Filipino people, I affix my signature.”
• 5:03: CJ Corona: I am humbly asking 188 complainants and Sen, Drilon to join me in the moment of truth. I am asking them to sign these blank forms to join me sapagkat hiling po ito ng bayan. The nation is at a stand still. Our people are watching all of us.
• 5:04: CJ Corona: This is not trick or manipulation but a challenge to public accountability.
• 5:05: CJ Corona said if anyone declined to sign the waiver, they have upheld the secrecy of bank deposits.
• 5:07: CJ Corona said he will only submit his waiver if all he has invited will submit the waiver. “Otherwise, I will ask my counsel to rest my case.”
• 5:08: CJ Corona asked that he be excused and walked out of the Senate Session Hall.
• 5:11: Cuevas said there is no intention to disrespect the Impeachment Court. He said the CJ is taking his medicines. The crowd booed. JPE warns the crowd to observe proper decorum or they will be escorted out of the Senate session hall.
• 5:14: Defense frantic.
• 5:15: Atty. Ramon Esguerra on the phone inquiring about the Chief Justice.
• 5:16: Senator Franklin Drilon shaking his head now talking to Sen. Osmena.
• 5:19: Justice Cuevas now back at the Senate Session hall.
• 5:24: Defense counsel German Lichaoco is talking to Sen. Angara.
• 5:30: Defense Lawyer Ramon Esguerra said the Chief Justice’s blood sugar went down. A doctor is checking him up right now.
• 5:31: The Chief Justice and his family is at the Senate’s Lounge. A wheelchair was also brought inside.
• 5:43: CJ Corona is being taken to the clinic on a wheelchair.
• 5:47: Defense Lawyer Tranquil Salvador: No lunch for hours. Umatend pa sya ng misa.
• 5:56: Defense team in a huddle.
• 6:02: CJ Corona returns to the Senate Session Hall on a wheelchair.
• 6:02: He has also removed his coat.
• 6:02: Session resumed.
• 6:03:JPE: You placed the Chief Justice on the witness stand.
• 6:03:JPE: I will order the striking off of his testimony.
• 6:04: Cuevas: After the testimony I was about to make a manifestation I never realized he was already feeling dizzy.
• JPE: He is the Chief Justice, he knows the decorum.
• 6:04: Cuevas: I would like to assure the court that there was no intention.
• JPE: We did not volunteer to be judges here. We are here on mandate from the Filipino people. I have high respect for the Chief Justice and the institution that he represents and I equally demand respect to the institution that I represent.
• 6:05: Cuevas: Hinihingi po namin ang inyong kapatawaran.
• 6:06: JPE: If he will not allow himself to be cross examined. We will allow ourselves to judge this case based on the evidence presented.
• Cuevas: Nagpanic na din po ang pamilya. Sinabi ko nga na sana kahit isa sa inyo nagsabi.
• 6:07: JPE: Why did you not stop your client.
• 6:07: JPE: Marami sa kin ang pumupuna dahil pinabayaan ko na magsalita ng napakahaba. Wag naman kaming babastusin.
• 6:08: Cuevas: Ang tingin ko po nagpanic na din ang pamilya.
• Cuevas: Ipagpapatuloy ang pagtestigo.
• 6:08: JPE: Para wala ng mahabang usapan, ano ba ang gusto nyo.
• 6:09: Cuevas: Nakikiusap kami kahit po bukas.
• JPE: Kung hindi po ayos. We will give him until tomorrow to return. If he will not return, we will consider this case submitted for decision.
• 6:09: Cuevas: Bukas po kung ayos na sya.
• 6:10: JPE asked the impeachment court if they will agree. No senator gave a statement. Sen. Sotto said there was no objection.
• 6:10: JPE: We will give him until tomorrow. What he said is nothing unless he is cross examined.
• 6:13: Session adjourned.
• 6:13: Trial will resume on Wednesday.
• 6:14: Chief Justice will be subject to cross examination on Wednesday.

Impeachment of Renato Corona

Renato Corona, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines was impeached on December 12, 2011. Corona was the third official, after President Joseph Estrada on 2000 and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez earlier on 2011, to be impeached by the House of Representatives.

Corona was perceived as an ally of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who had appointed him as chief justice of the Supreme Court, days after the 2010 presidential election. This comes after the Supreme Court ruled that the president's ban on appointments does not extend to the judiciary. Since then, the Supreme Court has been accused of ruling unfavorably of the Aquino administration in cases concerning Arroyo.

The Senate, which had already convened as an impeachment court, began the trial on January 16, 2012. This is the second impeachment trial in the history of the Philippines, as Gutierrez resigned prior to the trial.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Reynato Puno was to retire on May 17, 2010, seven days after the presidential election; however, the constitution prohibits the president from appointing anyone two months before the presidential election up to the end of the term. This caused a suit to be brought to the court, in which the court ruled on March 17, 2010, that the ban on appointments does not cover the judiciary. The court ruled with finality on April 20, 2010, with nine justices concurring, one dissenting, three inhibiting and two dismissing the case for being premature. This caused the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), the body that recommends nominees to the president, to resume its sessions in determining the list to be submitted.

Renato Corona was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on May 12, 2010. In a statement, the executive said that among the nominees submitted by the JBC, Corona was the "most senior Supreme Court justice".

With Benigno Aquino III winning the election, he invited all heads of the three branches of government to his inauguration, although instead of the tradition of him being inaugurated by the Chief Justice, he instead chose to be sworn in by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, the sole dissenter on the case.

At the first few months of Aquino's presidency, he consolidated power by removing government officials closely associated with the Arroyo administration. Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, who can not be simply removed from office, was impeached by the House of Representatives on March 22, 2011; the Senate was set to begin the second impeachment trial in history when she resigned on April 29, 2011.[4] Aquino announced the appointment of retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales as the new Ombudsman to replace Gutierrez on his 2011 State of the Nation Address.

On December 6, 2011, at the National Criminal Justice Summit at the Manila Hotel, Aquino said in a speech that Corona, who was seated meters away from him, is beholden to Arroyo. Aquino questioned the court's granting of a temporary restraining order lifting the watch list order of the Department of Justice against Arroyo, Arroyo's midnight appointment of Corona, and the ruling of Camarines Sur's two new legislative districts as constitutional despite falling short of the required population set by the constitution.

On the December 12, 2011 flag-raising ceremony at the Supreme Court, Corona revealed that there was "a secret plan to oust me from office by any means, fair or foul." Corona said that he would not resign.

Later in the day, a caucus amongst Aquino's allies in the House of Representative was called. Minority leader Edcel Lagman said that discussion amongst Aquino's allies heightened when the Committee on Justice passed an impeachment case involving Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo on his alleged plagiarism. Lagman further said that if the vote passed, he would question its "legal and factual basis.". The deputy presidential spokesperson, on the other hand, stated that the Palace "is not privy to the discussions of the Liberal Party in the House."

At the conclusion of majority bloc's caucus, Committee on Justice chairman Niel Tupas, Jr. presented the impeachment complaint; after the presentation, only two representatives asked for more questions, while an overwhelming majority asked to sign the complaint. He said that there were no instructions from the Palace to impeach Corona, nor was the pork barrel of representatives who did not sign would be held back, but he said that he informed the president of their decision to impeach Corona, and that the president supported it. The House of Representatives then voted in session to endorse the complaint, getting 188 votes, well above the one-third (95) of the members required by the constitution.

Navotas representative Toby Tiangco resigned from the majority bloc, and the chairmanship of the Committee on Metro Manila development, after the impeachment was passed by the House of Representatives. Tiangco said that the complaint was approved without the members of Congress scrutinizing it. Batangas 2nd district representative Hermilando Mandanas, who did not sign the complaint, was relieved of the chairmanship of the Committee on Ways and Means. Mandanas quoted Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. on saying that the Aquino administration wanted his removal. The majority bloc was not surprised with Tiangco's resignation from the majority, with Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II describing Tiangco as a "maverick" and has "more than many times identified himself with the minority."

CJ Corona's fortune worth 80 million pesos

Claiming he undervalued his assets, prosecutors on Friday (March 16) said impeached Philippine Chief Justice Renato Corona should have declared a personal fortune of as much as 80 million pesos-more than four times what he put down in his most recent statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

"We believe that his net worth should have been 70 million and 80 million pesos based on our computation of all of his assets and bank deposits that were presented in the trial. He only declared a net worth of 22 million pesos in his SALN in 2010," Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III said at a press conference.

Defense counsel Tranquil Salvador III rejected the prosecution claim.

"That is their own computation. We don't know where they got the values or how they got the computation. We should be given a chance to lay down our evidence. It appears they're preempting our presentation of evidence by making their own explanation of evidence they have presented," Salvador said.

"I just hope this is not a ploy to condition the mind of the public."

Salvador added: "To my mind the statements made by the prosecution are a reaction to the questions of certain senator-judges that their claim of 45 ill-gotten properties of Chief Justice Corona can't be proven. Based on last count and we're only on our fourth day, we're left with only five other properties to be explained."

Tañada said the prosecution used the acquisition costs of Corona's prime real estate assets, such as The Bellagio penthouse and the Bonifacio Ridge prime condo unit, to come up with his "real" net worth. The defense at Corona's impeachment trial said the Chief Justice listed these properties at their assessed and market values, which were markedly lower than their actual values, primarily for tax purposes.

Tañada, a prosecution spokesperson, noted that Corona not only declared less than a quarter of his actual net worth but that he also failed to declare his assets and bank accounts at the year of their acquisition or opening.

"That is the question, why did he deliberately fail to fill up the acquisition cost in all of his SALN?" he said.

Tañada stressed that the prosecution's initial estimate of Corona's net worth did not include dollar accounts estimated to range from $300,000 to $700,000. A temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court has prevented the disclosure of those deposits.

Help from peers

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, another prosecution spokesperson, said Corona knew his dollar accounts were too big to be justified by his income and allowances, as well as by the money owned by his wife in the Basa-Guidote Enterprises, Inc. This was why he sought the help of his peers in the high court to block the senator-judges from prying into his foreign currency deposits, Angara claimed.

Tañada also said the defense team took pains to bring the Supreme Court's budget and disbursement officer Araceli Bayuga to testify at the Senate trial to show that Corona earned 21.6 million pesos since being appointed to the high court.

"They wanted to show that Corona had a legitimate source of income. This is deception on the part of the defense. They told the public that the Chief Justice had a P25-million income and it is up to you [to determine] where he used it," Tañada said.

Tañada noted that Corona's allowances were spread out over 10 years and that these funds were not allowed to be used to buy assets.

Tañada shrugged off a defense threat to show the SALNs of select senator-judges to prove that these officials were also remiss in filling up the acquisition cost column, just like Corona.

"They (the senators) will convict based on the evidence presented before them. They will not consider their own SALNs," Tañada said. "I'm sure the senators will say 'we are not on trial here' and that they stand by their SALNs. 'Why present our SALNs in an impeachment court?'"

Corona should testify

Angara said the defense would be comparing apples and oranges if it came out with the SALN of legislators.

"Senators and representatives could be brought to the Ombudsman, unlike the Chief Justice and other impeachable officers, who have to be removed from office first before they could be charged in court," said Angara.

Tañada and Angara said that after the defense had presented seven witnesses, it was inevitable that Corona should testify himself and personally explain why he left out his assets and bank deposits in his SALN; why he used deflated figures and kept blank the acquisition value of his assets; why he was "hell-bent" on keeping his dollar accounts secret; and how much of his income and allowances were used to buy his assets.

Abad explains

Angara said that for Corona to claim that other government officials were doing what he was doing would not hold water.

"It's not a valid defense for a thief to say there were other thieves so what he did was just all right. That should not be the case. Your crime is personal to you," Angara said.

He said Corona had no basis to claim that the SALN forms were at fault for being vague.

"All government employees have the same form. The issue is if it was truthfully filled up. So let us not blame the form," said Angara.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad on Friday acknowledged that he only used the assessed value of his pieces of property in his SALN disclosures during all his years in government service.

Following a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) about his supposed failure to indicate as well the current fair market value and acquisition cost of his property, Abad said he would start doing so when he files his SALN for 2011 this April.

"In the interest of transparency, I will review my previous SALNs and include the acquisition cost and the fair market value, to the extent that the pertinent documents are still available. This will also be reflected in the SALN that I will file in April for year 2011," Abad said in a statement.

Corona's lawyer Ramon Esguerra had adverted to a PCIJ report that Abad did not indicate the current fair market values and acquisition costs of the pieces of property he owned.

"I acknowledge though that with respect to my real properties, I have declared their value based on the assessed value, which has been the basis of the taxes I have paid against these," Abad said.

"In all my years in public service, my attention has never been called to this, whether by the Civil Service Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman or the Commission on Appointments," he added.

Abad said he had been truthful in filing his SALNs since he was a representative for Batanes and when he became a Cabinet member.

Corona owned wide variety of firearms

It turns out, according to PNP records, that Corona has owned not just one gun but a veritable personal armory, from revolvers to high-powered machine guns, and even a vintage Winchester, the kind popularized by American cowboys in the 19th century.

Family dispute The alleged physical threat by Corona was first mentioned by Ana Basa, a first cousin of his wife, who described in detail to the Philippine Daily Inquirer this week how the Corona couple allegedly cheated the rest of the clan of collectively owned property and other assets.

Corona claimed that the millions in cash that he had in bank accounts revealed during his impeachment trial were proceeds from the sale of family property, which Ana Basa said was a surprise to the rest of the Basa clan. In the Inquirer story, Ana Basa said her clan had long been asking her cousin, Mrs. Corona, for an accounting of the properties. Mrs. Corona was the administrator of the family properties under the corporation Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. set up by her grandparents in 1961.

One of those properties was a lot in Sampaloc, Manila, where the family caretaker Aguilon maintained a small home. Aguilon stated in his affidavit that the Corona couple had his home demolished without warning in January 1997, and Renato Corona, then a presidential legal counsel in the administration of then-President Fidel Ramos, pointed a gun at him while saying,

"Baka gusto mong pasabugin kita."

However, according to PNP records, the first two of Corona's licensed guns were registered only in late 1997. The .38-caliber and .22-caliber revolvers were registered respectively on Oct. 14, 1997 and Nov. 6, 1997.

While denying that he pointed a gun at a property caretaker, Chief Justice Renato Corona admitted that he owned a gun. PNP records, however, showed he has owned at least 31 firearms, including an Uzi and a vintage Winchester popularized by American cowboys in the 19th century.

The chief magistrate has had a total of 31 firearms under his name since 1997. These include 18 pistols,

six revolvers,

two machine pistols, two shotguns, one submachinegun, one high-powered rifle, and a carbine. Among these are an Uzi, a Beretta, and a Glock, all leading gun brands.

The licenses of all the firearms have expired except for two: a .380-caliber pistol (Lic. No. 374-2900), which expires October 15, 2015; and a 9mm machine pistol (T0624-07V0060978), which expires on October 15, 2014. It was not immediately clear from PNP records if the expired licenses have been renewed or whether ownership has been

transferred to other entities. Sought for comment about Corona's guns, lawyer Ramon Esguerra, the magistrate's legal counsel in the ongoing Senate impeachment trial, told GMA News Online in a text message that he was "not aware" of the firearms that his client has owned over the years. In a long-running family feud between Mrs. Corona and her cousins and mother's siblings, Chief Justice Corona has been accused of using his influence with judges and even of terrorizing other clan members and their workers, such as what allegedly occurred to Mr. Aguilon.

"Walang nangyaring panunutok ng baril. Hindi po ako kilala bilang mainitin ang ulo,"

Corona told GMA News' Unang Hirit host Arnold Clavio last Wednesday.

In the same interview, Corona admitted owning a firearm, but quickly added:

"Meron akong baril pero hindi ko ito dinadala."

A summary of Renato Corona's 31 guns with corresponding serial numbers, according to the PNP:

.45-cal revolver (DAN1906)
.38-cal revolver (A40241)
.22-cal revolver (CJS2753)
.38-cal revolver (88676)
.22-cal revolver (145560)
.22-cal revolver (UD93691)
.32-cal pistol (DAA096492)
.380-cal pistol (374-29000)
.45-cal pistol (748851)
.45-calpistol (1678782)
.22-cal pistol (1948)
.45-cal pistol (92456B70) 9mm pistol (AS335)
.40-cal pistol (DLB531)
.45-cal pistol M37 (GDV758)
.40-cal pistol (QL1431)
.45-cal pistol (RK6887)
.45-cal pistol (SN24969E)
.45-cal pistol (WF3557)
.45-cal pistol (BL32370)
.45-cal pistol (DHZ878)
.45-cal pistol (KPA11832)
.45-cal frame (BL31184)
.45-cal frame (PG005068)
.9mm machine pistol (T0624-07V0060978) 9mm machine pistol (SR01121)
.12GA shotgun (M450399) 12GA shotgun (RC101548)
.9mm submachine gun MK9 (P0580)
.556 high-powered rifle (4951938)
.30-cal carbine (7243757)

Chief Justice Renato Corona Impeachment Trial 2012

Current Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona has been impeached by the House of the Representative accusing him of betraying the Public Trust, committing Culpable Violation of the Constitution and Graft and Corruption.

The articles of impeachment are the following:

Article 1 of the Impeachment: Renato Corona betrayed the Public Trust through his track record marked by partiality and subservience in cases involving the Arroyo Administration from the time of his appointment as Supreme Court Justice and until his dubious appointment as a midnight chief justice to the present.

Article 2 of the Impeachment: Renato Corona committed culpable violation of the constitution and or betrayed the Public Trust when he failed to disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth as required under Sec. 17, Art. XI of the 1987 Constitution.

Article 3 of the Impeachment: Renato Corona committed culpable violations of the constitution and betrayed the public trust by failing to meet and observe the stringent standards under Art. VIII, Section 7 (3) of the Constitution that provides that “[A} Member of the Judiciary must be a person of proven competence, integrity, probity, and independence” in allowing the Supreme Court to act on mere letters filed by a counsel which caused the issuance of flop-flopping decisions in final and executor cases; in creating an excessive entanglement with Mrs. Arroyo through her appointment of his wife to office; and in discussing with litigants regarding cases pending before the Supreme Court.

Article 4 of the Impeachment: Renato Corona betrayed the public trust and or committed culpable violation of the constitution when he blatangly disregarded the principle of separation of powers by issuing a “Status Quo Ante” order against the House of Representatives in the case concerning the impeachment of then Ombudsman Merceditas Navarro – Gutierrez.

Article 5 of the Impeachment: Renato Corona betrayed the Public Trust through wanton arbitrariness and partiality in consistently disregarding the Principle of Res Judicata in the cases involving the 16 newly-created cities, and the promotion of Dinagat Island into a province.

Article 6 of the Impeachment: Renato Corona betrayed the public trust by arrogating unto himself, and to a committee he created, the authority and jurisdiction to improperly investigate a justice of the Supreme Court for the purpose of exculpating him. Such authority and jurisdiction is properly reposed by the Constitution in the House of Representatives via impeachment.

Article 7 of the Impeachment: Respondent betrayed the public trust through his partiality in granting a temporary restraining order (TRO) in favor of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo in order to give them an opportunity to escape prosecution and to frustrate the ends of justice, and in distorting the Supreme Court decision on the effectivity of the TRO in view of a clear failure to comply with the conditions of the Supreme Court’s own TRO.

Article 8 of the Impeachment: Renato Corona betrayed the Public Trust and or committed graft and corruption when he failed and refused to account for the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF) and Special Allowance for the Judiciary (SAJ) collections.

The impeachment trial in the Senate started on Monday, January 16, 2012.

Enriqueta Esguerra-Vidal who is the clerk of court of the Supreme Court was called in as the first witness for the prosecution. She was told to surrender the SALNs (statements of assets, liabilities and net worth) from 2002 to 2010 of the Chief Justice to the impeachment court. At first, Vidal tried to beg the court citing Supreme Court en banc’s May 2, 1989 resolution which prohibit the public disclosure of the SALN of judges and justices.

But in the end, she was forced to turn over Corona’s SALN’s inside a brown envelope to the impeachment court. The prosecution panels received the documents and started to read them, but the Senator Sotto called their attention that the documents should be surrendered to the impeachment court not to the prosecutors. Then the documents are marked as evidence by the court.

Later, Marianito Dimaandal, records custodian of the Office of the President was called. He brought with him the certified copies of the SALN’s of Corona from 1992 to 2002 when Corona was still an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.