Tag: CJontrial

Great job by LRA’s Diaz

Published by Ellen on March 22, 2012

miriam and diaz — Miriam taking Diaz to the cleaners

To those who follow the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, Eulalio Diaz III, a classmate of President Aquino whom he appointed administrator of the Land Registration Authority, bungled his job, big time, in releasing a list of 45 properties credited to Corona.

But if you look at it from the point of view of the Aquino administration’s crusade against Corona and his benefactor, Gloria Arroyo, Diaz did a great job.

Imagine, with a phone call from Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupaz, head of the prosecution panel, he produced the list as his Jan 10, 2012 letter to Tupaz indicated: “Pursuant to your official request for the information relative to real estate properties registered in the name of Renato Corona et al, please find enclosed herewith certified true copies of titles registered in their names.”

Diaz related that he employed a “name search” in the LRA data base. He said that it was not only Renato Corona’s name that he punched in. He also searched for real estate properties with the name of Cristina Roco Corona, Francis Vincent Corona, Charina Corona, Maria Carla Corona Castillo and Constantino Castillo III.

No People Power seen whatever the Senate verdict on Corona

Published by Ellen on March 20, 2012

Corona rally — Pro and anti Corona rallies at the SC. Thanks to Inquirer for photo.

There will not be a repeat of EDSA DOS, the “civil society”-induced activity in 2001 that led to the ouster of elected president Joseph Estrada and the installation of Gloria Arroyo in Malacañang, whatever would be the decision of the senator-judges in the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

It is worthy to note that many of the people that helped Arroyo assume the presidency without election in 2001 are now with the Aquino administration, which is pursuing the impeachment of Corona, Arroyo’s midnight appointee as chief justice.

The expectation of public acceptance of the senator-judges’ verdict on Corona is once again affirmed in a survey, this time by Pulse Asia.

47% of Filipinos think Corona is guilty while 5% believe he is innocent: Pulse Asia

Published by Ellen on March 20, 2012

Pulse Asia conducted a nationwide survey (1,200 respondents) on the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona from Feb.26 to March 9, 2012. Here are the highlights:

Forty-seven percent of Filipinos think Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona is guilty of the charges filed against him while five percent believe he is innocent. Forty-three percent are ambivalent as regards his innocence or guilt.

Almost half of the Filipino population (47%) is of the view that Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona is guilty, with 33% saying he is probably guilty and 15% being certain about his guilt. Meanwhile, 43% cannot say whether the government official is guilty or not. Practically the same percentages across geographic areas and socio-economic classes either think the Chief Justice is guilty (37% to 52%) or express indecision on the matter (43% to 48%). An exception is Mindanao where 54% say the Supreme Court Chief Justice is guilty and significantly fewer residents (31%) are undecided on the matter. On the other hand, only 5% of Filipinos believe Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona is innocent of the charges filed against him, with 4% saying he is probably innocent and 1% saying he is definitely innocent.

Mistake in Corona SALN without malice?

Published by Ellen on March 18, 2012

Corona's SALN and bank deposits from Interaksyon — Thanks to Interaksyon.com for the graph.

It seems that the strategy of the defense in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona ’s strategy is leading towards admission that yes, he made “inadvertent mistake” in the filing of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth but that is not an impeachable offense.

This line of reasoning first surfaced in the March 14 hearing when Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano followed up on the point raised by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV that the issue is not whether the income of the chief justice was huge, or his wealth was earned legitimately or not, but whether what was stated in the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth are true and accurate.

Cuevas replied, “Even assuming there is discrepancy or quite a difference in the making of the return which may be considered inaccurate, Your Honor, that is not a ground, in our thinking, for impeachment.”

Still unexplained: The gap between Corona’s wealth and SALN

Published by Ellen on March 15, 2012

Demetrio Vicente inside an SC car — Corona cousin in an SC car

It’s perfectly understandable for Chief Justice to take care of his cousin, Demetrio Vicente, who testified in his favor Tuesday at his impeachment trial.

The 70-year old Vicente is not in the best of health having suffered two strokes and Marikina is quite a distance from the Senate in Pasay City.

But he should have used his personal car, not the vehicle belonging to the Supreme Court,

Solar News reporter Albert Alicer and his crew caught on video Vicente riding in a beige Toyota Camry 1996 model with a red plate SEJ.953 after the impeachment hearings Tuesday evening. The vehicle turned out to be registered with the Supreme Court.

Corona brought cousin Demetrio Vicente home in SC car after trial court testimony

Published by Ellen on March 14, 2012

Solar News caught on video defense witness Demetrio Vicente being ferried home by a Supreme Court vehicle after his testimony at the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona Tuesday evening.

Inquirer apologizes to Vicente for the series of photos of him that they used in their Wednesday issue.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/161513/inquirer-apologizes-to-vicente-readers

Solar News video clips showed Vicente inside the beige Toyota Camry 1996 model with a red plate numbered SEJ.953. A red plate means it’s a government vehicle.

Solar News reporter Albert Alicer and his crew took the video of the vehicle as it was leaving the Senate premises.

Dazed

Published by Ellen on March 13, 2012

Demetrio Vicente — Thanks to Manila Times for photo

If the purpose of the defense in the Corona impeachment trial in presenting its second witness, Demetrio Coronado Vicente, was to render the prosecution, the senator-judges and the public dazed, they succeeded.

I, myself, got dizzy trying to understand the somewhat disorganized business transaction between him and Maria Cristina Corona, wife of Chief Justice Renato Corona. I gave up when Presiding Judge Juan Ponce-Enrile asked him about tax declarations and Vicente replied, “I don’t know.”

To be fair, Vicente seemed sincere. Even guileless. And trusting.

It would be unfair to accuse him of knowingly acting as the Corona’s dummy. Maybe,taken advantaged of.

Vicente, second cousin of Corona, was testifying on his purchase of seven-parcels of land from Corona’s wife, Maria Cristina and her sister Miriam.

Corona’s latest offer: I’ll resign but I keep everything I have

Published by Ellen on March 11, 2012

Benigno Aquino III, Renato Corona, Juan Ponce Enrile — Unfriendly meeting

I find the revelations of Chief Justice Renato Corona of the meetings that he had with President Aquino and other administration stalwarts very interesting. I just wish that he tells the complete story and not just be selective in his sharing with the public.

I also expect the same from Malacañang.

Corona disclosed the proposal of administration ally Sen. Teofisto Guingona for a term sharing with Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, which Guingona denies.

He should also disclose his counter-offers especially the latest ,made through a retired associate justice , that he was willing to resign on condition that he would keep everything that he owns now.
What Corona has only disclosed were his meetings with President Aquino and the Guingonas, father and son.

The Aquino-Corona meeting has been confirmed by Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. It took place in July 2010, a few weeks after the latter was sworn into office by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, in the house of the President’s sister, Pinky Abellada.

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.