Category: Supreme Court

Inip na sa ending ang taumbayan

Published by Ellen on February 20, 2012

Kapag impeachment ni Chief Justice Renato Corona ang pinaguusapan, ang tanong ng karamihan ay, “Maku-convict ba si Corona?”

Inip na sa ending ang mga tao.

Sa aming baryo sa Guisijan sa Antique, marami ang sumusunod ng Corona impeachment trial.Sa mga nakita nilang lumabas na mga impormasyun sa trial, naniniwala silang guilty si Corona.Kaya kahit medyo palpak and prosecution, umu-ubra din ang kanilang stratehiya na lumilihis sa proseso.

Ngunit alam din ng taumbayan na malaki ang papel ng pulitika sa pinal na desisyun kaya medyo nag-alala sila.

Who is the better fictionist?

Published by Ellen on February 16, 2012

Just when we were getting excited by another set of accounts by Chief Justice Renato Corona with the Philippine Savings Bank, Katipunan branch, totaling some P36 million which were withdrawn on Dec. 12, 2012, the day the House of Representatives approved the impeachment of the Chief Justice, bank manager Annabel Tiongson, dropped another information that brought us back to the fascinating tale of the “small lady” that has regaled us the past days.

Nineteen days of impeachment trial have revealed that Corona has not been truthful in the declaration of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth.

Corona stated in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for 2010 that he had only P3.5 million in cash and investments. Yet his five peso accounts at the Philippine Savings Bank showed he had P19,728,555.39 while his checking account at the Bank of the Philippines Island, Ayala branch contained P12,024,000.67 or a total of about P32 million as of Dec. 31, 2010.

Why is Malacañang vouching for authenticity of ‘fake’ bank document?

Published by Ellen on February 14, 2012

Enrile with fake PSB doc — Enrile showing prosecution's 'fake' document

Why is Malacañang vouching for the authenticity of the documents supposedly on the bank accounts of Chief Justice Renato Corona at the Philippine Savings Bank submitted by the prosecution to the impeachment court?

That document, which PSB Katipunan branch manager Annabel Tiongson, said was fake became the basis of the subpoena issued by the impeachment court for the information on Corona’s bank accounts.

An ABS-CBN report quoted Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda as saying, “Ano ba ang fake? Fake ang account number e mayroong account number doon sa PSBank eh. Kung signature card, pirmado naman po ni Chief Justice Corona ‘yun. So I suppose they’re protecting their bank because there’s a violation of the Bank Secrecy Law so I would assume that the bank will do everything to protect itself from liability from the Bank Secrecy Law. But what has been proven is that it is not fake insofar as the account numbers, insofar as the figures are there.”

Corona to prosecution: You did not have any iota of evidence against me when you filed the impeachment complaint.

Published by Ellen on February 13, 2012

Press statement of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona:

Throughout my public career, I have never been involved in any anomaly or scandal. Whatever assets my wife and I have acquired are products of 45 years of toil and honest work.

My wife and I have been privileged to come from families of comfortable means. We grew up never lacking in anything and even enjoyed some luxuries. We earned our academic degrees in some of the best exclusive schools in the country. I went on to earn several postgraduate degrees, including a Master’s degree in Harvard Law School. Our parents provided well for our future. Family resources continue to be available to us anytime.

I had a very successful career in the private sector where I was a top executive before I joined the government. That is public record.

Defense: Palace offered P100-M per senator to skirt TRO

Published by Ellen on February 12, 2012

Defense presscon — Prelude to withdrawal?

By Ira Pedrasa, ABS-CBNnews.com

Palace says claims are ‘unsubstantiated,’ a ‘desperate gimmick’

The defense on Sunday alleged that Malacanang offered P100 million for senators to skirt around the Supreme Court-issued temporary restraining order on the subpoena issued on Chief Justice Renato Corona’s alleged dollar accounts.

Citing a “very reliable” source, defense lawyer Dennis Manalo said Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. has been contacting senator-judges not to honor the halt order.

Corona is finished

Published by Ellen on February 9, 2012

Corona emotional — Corona becomes emotional in front of supporters at the Supreme Court. Photo from ABS-CBN online.

As I was writing this piece, Supreme Court Spokesman Midas Marquez was having a press conference announcing the Temporary Restraining Order that the High Court issued against the Senate, seating as an impeachment court, to subpoena information on the foreign dollar account of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The vote was 8-5-1. Corona inhibited.

As to the petition of Corona to stop the his impeachment trial, no action was done because when it was raffled Wednesday, it went to Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, who inhibited because his son is a member of the House of Representatives from where the Corona impeachment emanated.

Whatever would be the final decision on the Chief Justice’s dollar account or accounts, Corona is finished.

Corona had P19.7M by end-2010: bank records

Published by Ellen on February 8, 2012

By David Dizon, ABS-CBNnews.com

Corona’s SALN (end-2010): P3.5M cash/investments

Chief Justice Renato Corona had a total bank balance of P19,728,555.39 from 2 bank accounts in Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) as of end-December 2010, records from the bank showed Wednesday.

The bank balance is much higher than the P3.5 million cash and investments he declared in his statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN) for 2010.

Free-load syndrome

Published by Ellen on February 7, 2012

Corona with his defense team — Corona confers with his legal team at the opening of the impeachment trial.

All the lawyers in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, both of the prosecution and the defense, boast that they are participating in the most important legal event in the country today, pro bono.

Wikipedia says the term pro bono comes from Pro bono public which means for the public good. It is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service.

It’s human nature to want to get something for nothing. The trait cuts across economic classes. That’s why senior citizens in Makati, rich or poor, love former Mayor Jojo Binay for giving them a lot of freebies including free movies.

In fact in many cases, it has become a status symbol because it means you know somebody important who gave you a free ticket.

I remember a shipping company manager complaining of politicians and influential personalities who were fond of asking for free tickets when they can very well afford them.

Corona impeachment court resolution allowing subpoena of bank records

Published by Ellen on February 7, 2012

Senate Resolution on the Request for Subpoena of Corona’s Bank Accounts

Santiago’s motion for reconsideration of opening of bank accounts

FULL text of the Senate impeachment court’s Feb. 6 resolution granting the prosecution’s request to subpoena certain bank records of Chief Justice Renato Corona and summon bank officials.

Resolution

This resolves the twin Requests for Issuance of Subpoenae both dated January 31, 2012 filed by the House of Representatives.

On January 31, 2012, the House of Representatives, through its Prosecutors, filed a Request for Issuance of Subpoena seeking to require the President/Manager and/or other authorized officers of Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) to testify and produce before the Court the original and certified true copies of the following documents:

a. Customer Identification and Specimen Signature Card of the bank account, under the name RENATO CORONA which won P1 Million in the PSBank Monthly Millions Raffle Promo as listed in the Official List of Winners as of March 13, 2008;

Impeachment court grants request to subpoena bank execs, Corona bank accounts

Published by Ellen on February 6, 2012

Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, InterAksyon.com

The impeachment court trying Chief Justice Renato Corona has granted, “but sets specific limits to the same,” the request of prosecutors to subpoena bank executives and records on accounts of the accused and members of his family.

Emerging from a closed-door caucus on Day 12 of the trial, the court presiding officer, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, said the senator-judges deliberated on the prosecution motion, and majority voted to grant the request under certain restrictions. He directed Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III to read aloud the court resolution on the matter.