Archive for May 17th, 2012

Corona to take stand Tuesday

Posted by on May 17, 2012 at 05:18 am

Chief Justice Renato Corona will finally take the witness stand on Tuesday, May 22, as the trial went on a two-day break to prepare for his testimony.

“We have no other witness. Therefore, the only witness remaining is the respondent,” lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas told the Senate impeachment court. (Read more)

Filed Under: News

Likely senatorial bet escapes grilling from senator-judge

Posted by on May 17, 2012 at 05:01 am

SENATOR Miriam Defensor-Santiago declined to quiz former Akbayan party-list Representative Risa Hontiveros on the $10 million supposedly owned by Chief Justice Renato Corona because of her support to the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill, a measure sponsored by the feisty lawmaker.

Santiago, known for berating witnesses and lawyers in the trial for fudging answers, also waived her questions to Hontiveros because there is a “possibility she might join the Senate.” (Read more)

Filed Under: News

Defense can’t confirm veracity of dollar accounts

Posted by on May 17, 2012 at 05:00 am

A LAWYER of Chief Justice Renato Corona refused to confirm if the Supreme Court official really owns dollar accounts, some which were supposedly withdrawn days after he was impeached by the House of Representatives.

During clarificatory questioning by Senator Franklin Drilon, defense lawyer Dennis Manalo said one of the 82 dollar accounts disclosed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales at the impeachment court remains to be a subject of testimony from witnesses they have yet to present. (Read more)

Filed Under: News

Society leader may be cited in contempt for securing bank docs

Posted by on May 17, 2012 at 04:59 am

SOCIETY leader Harvey Keh got a dressing down from the impeachment court on Wednesday when he allegedly tried to influence the senator-judges by forwarding bank records of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Delivered to the office of Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile at the time the trial is entering its homestretch, Keh said he received the documents from anonymous people who placed them in a mailbox in their Quezon City office. (Read more)

Filed Under: News

Aquino told to respect verdict of impeachment court

Posted by on May 17, 2012 at 04:57 am

Win or lose, parties to the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona should respect the decision to be handed down by the senator-judges in the next two weeks, a lawyer said Thursday.

“The defense is ready to accept the verdict of the Senate impeachment court, and we hope that the President is ready, too,” defense spokesperson Rico Paolo Quicho said, reiterating that they will be presenting the Chief Justice to bury all the accusations against him. (Read more)

Filed Under: News

Aquino to Corona: Tell us the truth

Posted by on May 17, 2012 at 04:55 am

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday urged Chief Justice Renato Corona to “tell the truth” when he answers accusations against him before the impeachment court.

“I hope he tells us the truth,” Aquino said when asked to make a brief take on Corona in an interview with Bombo Radyo. (Read more)

Filed Under: News

Ombud: Corona violates anti-money laundering law

Posted by on May 17, 2012 at 04:54 am

A 20-page memorandum report from the Office of the Ombudsman indicates that impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona may have violated the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

“The undersigned investigators respectfully submit that the foregoing findings may involve a violation of Republic Act (RA) 9160 as amended by RA 9194 (The Anti-Money Laundering Act),” the report approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales stated. (Read more)

Filed Under: News

Featured Video

Prosecution press conference after the guilty verdict on Chief Justice Renato Corona on Tuesday, May 29, 2012.

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How the Senator-Judges voted on Article II (Concealing of some of his properties and cash deposits in his SALN
Senators Vote
Edgardo J. Angara
Edgardo J. Angara

GUILTY

"I may grant the CJ plea of honest mistake of judgment but given his broad experience in public law…this willful and deliberate admission together with magnitude of amounts involved amounts to culpable violation."

Joker P. Arroyo
Joker P. Arroyo

NOT GUILTY

"Impeachment is a political process not a political assassination"

Alan Peter Compañero S. Cayetano
Alan Peter S. Cayetano

GUILTY

"If your client cannot explain, I cannot abstain."
If you did not disclose, we have to depose. If you are not fit, you cannot sit.


Pia S. Cayetano
Pia S. Cayetano

GUILTY

"Minor inaccuracies in the SALN...would not amount to betrayal of public trust. But, the failure to declare 2.4 million dollars and some P80 Million pesos is not minor...Once that trust is gone, we must step down to preserve the integrity of the position we hold."

Miriam Defensor Santiago
Miriam Defensor Santiago

NOT GUILTY

"An omission in good faith in the SALN carries a light penalty, and is even allowed to be corrected.  Thus, it is not impeachable...I find it reprehensible that the AMLA document was introduced in evidence, without authentication, as required by the Rules of Evidence."

Franklin M. Drilon
Franklin M. Drilon

GUILTY

"Where our Constitution and our laws require disclosure, he chose the path of concealment. He has lost his moral fitness to serve the people. He has betrayed the public trust. He cannot be Chief Justice a minute longer. "

Juan Ponce Enrile
Juan Ponce Enrile

GUILTY

"With all due respect, I believe that the Respondent Chief Justice's reliance on the absolute confidentiality accorded to foreign currency deposits under Section 8 of Republic Act No. 6426 is grossly misplaced."

Francis 'Chiz' Escudero
Francis G. Escudero

GUILTY

"Ang pinagbabawalan ng FCDU law na mag-release ng impormasyon ukol sa dollar deposits ay ang mga bangko at di ang depositor. Samantala, ang Konstitusyon at R.A. 6713, pinag-uutos na ideklara ng lahat ng opisyal ng pamahalaan ang lahat ng kanilang yaman at pagkakautang. Kung ayaw mo ito ideklara, eh di huwag kang tumakbo para sa, o tumanggap ng anumang, pwesto sa pamahalaan. "

Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
Jinggoy Estrada

GUILTY

"I regret to say that I am not convinced. Because the Chief Justice is a learned man of law. He is in fact, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court - isang opisyal na hindi lamang malalim ang kaalaman sa batas, kundi isang opisyal na may tungkuling basahin kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng mga batas."

Teofisto 'TG' Guingona III
Teofisto Guingona III

GUILTY

"We must protect sanctity of Constitution. Corona's non-disclosure of assets is constitutional perversion in its ultimate form."

Gregorio 'Gringo' Honasan
Gregorio B. Honasan II

GUILTY

"We have not proven if the defendant is corrupt. What is clear is that he is no longer fit to preside over the SC."

Panfilo M. Lacson
Panfilo M. Lacson

GUILTY

"Chief Justice Renato Corona used to work as a senior officer of the tax and corporate counseling group of the tax division of a prominent accounting firm, Sycip Gorres and Velayo and Company. He also taught commercial law, taxation and corporate law at the Ateneo de Manila University for 17 years. I find it hard to believe his testimony that he does not understand accounting."

Manuel 'Lito' M. Lapid
Manuel M. Lapid

GUILTY

"Akala ko totooo ang sinabi niya hindi pala. Pinapaniwalaan ko pa si Congressman Fariñas."

Loren Legarda
Loren B. Legarda

GUILTY

"Truthful SALN disclosure is key element of transparent governance..Public trust is earned through transparent, often voluntary, gestures of honesty by officials in question."

Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

NOT GUILTY

"The Chief Justice sufficiently addressed the accusations against him with regard to the filing of his SALN, and the disclosure of his real properties and peso and dollar deposits."

Sergio R. Osmeña III
Sergio R. Osmeña III

GUILTY

"There is more reason to apply the law when the assets in question amount to P180 million...Nowhere in that FCDU law not allow depositors from disclosing their deposits."

Kiko Pangilinan
Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan

GUILTY

"As a lawyer and an officer of the court, it pains and saddens me to say that clearly the Chief Justice displayed a disturbing pattern of dishonesty, willful concealment, and evasion and a blatant and wanton disregard of the provisions of the Constitution on the SALN...Respect for the rule of law will only be realized if punishment is swift in a fair trial."

Aquilino Martin
Aquilino“Koko” Pimentel III

GUILTY

"There is evidence on record that shows respondent Corona didn't declare in his SALNs his properties. Arguments of respondent do not persuade this senator-judge."

Ralph G. Recto
Ralph G. Recto

GUILTY

"The undeclared assets are so huge that it cannot be pressed aside as innocent exclusion"

Ramon 'Bong' <br />  						Revilla, Jr
Ramon Revilla, Jr.

GUILTY

"Through his own direct admission, the Chief Justice failed to properly disclose all his assets in SALN"

Vicente C. Sotto III
Vicente C. Sotto III

GUILTY

" True judgment must come from the people"

 

Antonio F. Trillanes IV
Antonio F.  Trillanes IV

GUILTY

"The claim of commingled funds and confidentiality of dollar deposits will never be accepted as alibis. From now on, no one's untouchable. "

Manny Villar
Manny Villar

GUILTY

"Nahirapan man ako sa aming desisyon, paniwala ko kailangan talaga ideklara and dollar accounts."