PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORDS
[PHOTO
- President Benigno Aquino III and Chief Justice Renato Corona. INQUIRER file photo]
MANILA, FEBRUARY 18, 2012 (INQUIRER) Chief Justice Renato Corona on
Friday challenged President Benigno Aquino III to make public his statement of
assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), bank and psychological records.
"Mayroon po tayong obligasyon na ipakita sa taong bayan na maayos ang ating
pag-iisip [We have an obligation to the people to show our state of mind],"
Corona said in a statement to media, a day after Aquino raised anew doubts on
Corona's credibility as Chief Justice.
Corona said that for the sake of transparency, he has released his own SALN
and was prepared to explain the details about his property.
"I have disclosed my SALN. I have not hidden it. Its non-publication is based
on a two-decades-old ruling in the Supreme Court when I still wasn't a justice.
I will explain my SALN at the proper time, and according to the process of the
impeachment proceedings," Corona said in Filipino.
"Perhaps, it would be much better, Mr. President, if you disclose your SALN
and explain it to the people. Maybe you should include your bank accounts and
psychological records that have been a nagging issue," Corona said.
Aquino's psychological state came out during the 2010 presidential elections
when a document allegedly from the Ateneo De Manila University showed that
Aquino underwent psychiatric evaluation in 1996.
The document was supposedly signed by Father Carmelo Caluag who assessed that
he was suffering from a "major depressive disorder due to work-related issues".
Aquino himself denounced the report as a hoax.
SC throws monkey wrench at prosecution's case by
RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News Posted at 02/17/2012 5:02 PM | Updated as of 02/17/2012
5:03 PM
MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court has thrown a monkey wrench at the
House prosecution panel's efforts to gather evidence in the impeachment trial of
Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Prosecutors said the High Court's resolution restricting the testimonies of
the justices and court employees as well as access to some court documents pose
challenges to prove Corona's guilt in Article 7 of the impeachment complaint.
Spokesman Miro Quimbo (photo) said the SC resolution is not a
welcome development since they were hoping the Court would abide by Corona's
commitment to be cooperative and not restrict access and transparency.
Quimbo said they will seek other remedies to get the documents they need,
like appealing to the Senate impeachment court to insist on its subpoena. The
prosecution also wants the Court to clarify the coverage on the restriction on
documents.
Spokesman Sonny Angara (photo at right), meanwhile, said the court's
documents are public documents.
In a 28-page per curiam en banc Resolution dated February 14, the SC denied
the examination and reproduction of confidential court records of cases cited in
the Corona impeachment case as subpoenaed by the Senate.
The High Court also maintained that its justices, officials and employees are
bound by the rules on confidentiality and barred from disclosing information
pertaining to the raffle of cases, actions taken on each case in the agenda of
court sessions, and deliberations of justices in court sessions on cases and
matters pending before it.
The voting was unanimous with 12 justices present.
Another roadblock
Quimbo said the Court's documents would show how Corona used his position to
expedite and provide preferential treatment to alleged patron, former President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, when the court issued a restraining order against the
watch list order against her.
"It will not weaken the case. The case is stronger but makes proving it more
difficult. Dagdag balakid para patunayan pero di mahina ang kaso, kasi as it is,
malakas na malakas," he said.
Angara likened this development to the Senate impeachment court's decision to
reject the requests to subpoena the Corona family. He said the decision only
made the presentation of Article 2 longer.
"Kung pinayagan maging saksi si Chief Justice at pamilya sa Article 2 di tayo
tumagal ng 5 linggo pero napatunayan ang argumento sa ibang paraan. Gumamit kami
ng official documents," he said.
He declined to reveal how else they intend to prove their case for Article 2.
The prosecutors' spokesman said they will stick to their timeline to end the
presentation of evidence in court by the 1st week of March, with the unpresented
articles to be presented instead through documentary submissions.
The panel wants to give the defense enough time to make their case and the
impeachment court time to decide the case before the Holy Week break.
Angara said the prosecution will decide soon on which article they will stop
with the open presentation of evidence, noting that some members of the team
feel they can convict Corona on Article 2 alone especially after PSBank revealed
3 other accounts under Corona's name with the bank.
Quimbo thinks the defense panel's initial explanations and rebuttals of the
allegations and evidence presented do not really address the issues.
BGEI used as 'scapegoat'
He noted the defense panel is using Basa Guidote Enterprises Incorporated
(BGEI), a corporation owned by Mrs. Corona's relatives, as an excuse to explain
the cash in Corona's bank accounts.
Quimbo said the defense had already cited money from BGEI to explain the
purchase of Corona's properties. He said the same money from BGEI is being used
to explain Corona's alleged P36 million in bank deposits last December 12, 2011.
Corona closed 3 accounts last December 12, the same day he was impeached by
the House of Representatives.
Quimbo said the defense is already hard-pressed to explain these, noting the
dollar accounts of Corona have not even been opened yet.
Angara, for his part, asked why cash from BGEI would be deposited in Corona's
account when it's not even a joint account with wife Cristina, whose family owns
BGEI.
'Lay off Banal'
Quimbo, meantime, told the defense to lay off Quezon City 3rd District Rep.
Jorge "Bolet" Banal after it was revealed that he approached PSBank Katipunan
manager Anabelle Tiongson to verify a photocopy of Corona's signature card.
Banal admitted meeting Tiongson but said he only found the photocopy of the
document left at his gate last January 30.
Corona's defense team is reportedly considering filing a case against Banal,
prosecutor Rey Umali and Chief Prosecutor Niel Tupas Jr. for possible violation
of the bank secrecy law for attaching the document to their request for Senate
subpoena.
Corona's lawyers are also mulling the filing of an ethics complaint against
the congressmen before the House ethics committee.
Quimbo said that despite questions on the bank documents the prosecution
attached to secure subpoena's for Corona's other bank records, testimonies by
bank executives lately have proven these are authentic because the information
in the documents are correct. With a report from Jing
Castañeda, ABS-CBN News
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
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