HAVE PUPPET SUPREME COURT
MANILA, MARCH 29, 2012
(TRIBUNE) By Benjamin B. Pulta - The big judicial fight to save
the Supreme Court (SC) from being hammered into a rubber stamp high court and be
completely controlled by President Aquino continues.
Chief Justice Renato Corona said the public should expect more attacks on the
judiciary in a proxy war waged by Malacañang to ensure the creation of an
Aquino-controlled high court that will bow to his every whim.
"The judiciary has been at the receiving end of continued and relentless
attacks on its independence with only one purpose, and that is to create a
compliant and malleable judiciary," Corona said
The Chief Justice specifically cited media bashing against him as part of the
attacks aimed at undermining court independence in a speech before the graduates
of the Philippine Law School (PLS) held at the Philippine International
Convention Center.
This is in apparent reference to reports linking the Chief Justice to
properties in Florida and California, brought up by a blogger and quickly picked
up by the yellow TV network which passed it on as news.
The blogger linked two properties in the United States to the Coronas even
when it was evident that the properties were used as a mailing address of the
Coronas when they come and visit in Orlando, Florida.
With the Coronas' denial that they owned these claimed properties in the US,
the same blogger followed it up and announced that she had evidence to prove
that a daughter of Corona, Maria Charina, had bought a property in California
then questioned her capacity to pay for two properties within a period of 22
days, as Charina is also listed as the owner of a condomium in McKinley Hills in
the Fort for P6 million, insinuating that she was merely a dummy for her father.
The blogger, Raissa Robles, then said that the money trail should be
followed, intimating that the dollar accounts of the Chief Jutsice should be
scrutinized for the dollar payments if indeed Charina had bought the Mckinley
property.
The defense team, however, was reported to have issued a statement that it
will be presenting a forensic audit expert to clarify the financials.
Spokesman Karen Jimeno was quoted as saying that "A forensics audit will soon
make the financials clearer that will explain for instance the interests earned
by the trust funds that will explain significantly the bank deposits."
The other reports had Defense lawyer Tranquil Salvador saying that they "have
further established the financial standing of Chief Justice Corona and Mrs.
Corona by their combined income and allowances, the proceeds of the sale of two
lots and the funds of Basa Guidote that so far appear to be held in trust.
This is about more than P90 million they have with them during the relevant
period."
In a telephone interview with the Tribune last night, Salvador vehemently
denied that he had ever said anything to the effect of the Coronas having P90
million during the relevant period.
"I never said that. Why am I being quoted in these reports on the alleged P90
million, when I never even issued such a statement?"
Defense Spokesman counsel Rico Quicho was also quoted as saying that "the
fact remains that the assets were declared, the issue of acquisition cost
notwithstanding as these had not been concealed based on evidence of publicly
available records such as pertinent deeds of sale with the Register of Deeds."
"We have debunked the bloated number of properties publicly presented by the
Prosecution; from allegedly 45 properties, these has been halved per admission
by the Prosecution, if not dwarfed by the truth that CJ Corona really owns only
5 properties," added Tranquil Salvador.
The Chief Magistrate also denied and latest survey findings released to the
media showing distrust on the embattled magistrate by students, as well as the
trust ratings from Pulse Asia.
The defense team earlier questioned the propriety of the surveys and such
news reports saying that this is only meant "to condition the mind during the
long break."
"We do not have constituencies whose interests we have to protect nor any
agenda we have to espouse. It is the ability to render independent judgment,
without fear of favor, that separates us and makes us distinct from the two
other branches of government." Corona said.
For its part, the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA), the training school
for justices, judges, court personnel, lawyers, and aspirants for judicial
positions, reiterated its support to the Chief Justice and his family.
In a mass officiated by Father Maximo Villanueva, Jr., officials and staff of
the Academy, led its Chancellor Adolfo Azcuna, prayed for the Chief Justice and
members of his defense team to be "courageous and constant in their faith amid
oppositions and persecution."
Defense Spokesman Esguerra stressed, "we ask all concerned not to believe
'information' being presented virally. These are figments of the author's vivid
imagination," evidently referring to the blogger's report.
Replying to the blogger's claim on the US property when interviewed after the
Mass held in support of the Chief Justice and the judiciary, Mrs. Cristina
Corona said: "If my daughter has (the property in California), that hers. That's
not mine. That's not ours (her and her husband's).
On the survey results that have come out, referrring to Pulse Asia, Counsel
Esquerra said: " As to the results of the survey, the public must take it with a
grain of salt especially the timing of its release." Esguerra further pointed
out, "because of the Season of Lent, we ask all those concerned for their
patience, a virtue being exacted of us by this historic trial. We will soon have
the truth that biblically and hopefully will set us all free."
Meanwhile, SC Administrator Midas Marquez dared the Bureau of Internal
Revenue (BIR) to file charges in court if indeed it found that there is a member
of high tribunal who has been evading payment of taxes.
This was the challenge raised by Marquez during regular Tuesday forum hosted
by the Catholic Media Network (CMN) "The Forum" after saying that the supposed
non-payment of taxes was not applicable to the allowances and honorariums they
receive when in fact taxes had already been withheld before even getting their
pay.
Marquez cited an example of the Senate electoral tribunal where it is
composed of three Justices and six senators while in the House of Representative
Electoral tribunal the same composition exists where all of them receive the
same allowances.
"The BIR should first make an assessment on all agencies in regard to payment
of income taxes and not single out only the Supreme Court" Marquez charged.
He said that this was already the old practice which they had only adopted
and that perhaps, because of the impeachment trial of the Chief Justice, another
issue is also being raised.
"If they see that they have basis for their (BIR chief) charging alleged tax
evasion, then they should file a case against us and let the SC answer it,"
Marquez noted.
"Tax evasion against the Judiciary since 40 years ago. Why did the BIR not do
anything about it then? Why is this tax evasion issue against the justices being
brought up only now?," he stressed.
It will be recalled that BIR chief Kim Henares announced that the Chief
Justice is under investigation for tax evasion.
In earlier news report Marquez was quoted as saying that the BIR chief's
statement was probably hinged on a law imposing a withholding tax on allowances
exceeding P30,000.
However, Marquez said there could be a legal issue on Henares' plan to tax
these allowances.
"For example, let's say transportation allowance is P30,000 per year so
that's not taxable.
But what if you have another P20,000 clothing allowance, will that now become
taxable because the allowances now become P50,000? So there's an issue there,"
Marquez said.
He stressed that the exclusion of these allowances from tax coverage has been
a practice in the high court for decades.
"From the time of Chief Justice (Hilario) Davide to Chief Justice (Reynato)
Puno, that has been the practice. It has nothing to do with Chief Justice Corona
so why would they bring it up just now? Is there an agenda?," he asked.
Henares had said that allowances were not exempt from income tax. She made
the clarification after impeachment court proceedings revealed that the Supreme
Court does not withhold taxes on allowances and other benefits given to Corona
and other justices.
The Supreme Court only withholds taxes on justices' salaries and yearend
bonus in excess of P30,000.
Earlier, Henares ordered a tax probe on Corona and his family after it was
disclosed at the impeachment trial that he received P21 million in allowances
and benefits. With Pat C. Santos
Sacramento property owned by Corona daughter, not the
CJ's 03/27/2012
The "proof" of the alleged US property of Chief Justice Renato Corona, as
bragged by blogger Raissa Robles, who first insinuated that Corona had
properties in the United States that she linked to the dollar accounts of the
Chief Justice while demanding that he explain these properties before the
impeachment court, turned out to be one piece of property bought by Corona's
daughter, Maria Charina, located near Sacramento, California and not in Florida.
Defense counsel Tranquil Salvador, in a telephone interview with the Tribune,
said yesterday that Corona's daughter bought a real property near Sacramento,
California in 2008.
He also informed the Tribune that the Sacramento property had a 30-year or so
amortization plan.
Moreover, the Corona defense team pointed out that Charina Corona certainly
has the capacity to buy the property since she holds two jobs in the US as a
physical therapist.
Physical therapists in the US are highly paid, especially if their clients
are celebrity athletes.
Robles insinuated broadly that the property bought by Charina may belong to
the Chief Justice himself, as she claimed in an TV interview that Charina bought
the US property less than a month before buying a P6.1 million property in
McKinley Hill, The Fort, Taguig in October 2008.
Robles was quoted as saying inm the interview that "The property is very
intriguing because it was bought shortly before the McKinleyproperty was bought.
That was in 2008. So it was CJ Corona who brought in his family into the
picture, so I think it is very pertinent, relevant and material that people
follow the money trail and that I think, makes his dollar bank deposits very
relevant to the case."
She also added that Charina is the sole owner of the property after her
husband signed a waiver.
"The clearest thing though is that it is only the daughter who owns the
property. It is not a conjugal thing. The husband signed a waiver to the
property. You wonder why the arrangement was that way. And the property was
bought 22 days before the McKinley property was bought. You ask yourself – why
would someone take two liabilities so close to each other, almost at the same
time? Is this a period of recession in the US?" she said.
Robles appears to have forgotten that the US has been having mortaged
problems, with so many Americans losing their homes to this day.
Salvador said there is such a thing as paraphernal and conjugal property,
adding that the issue being raised by Robles is immaterial, irrelevant and
impertitent as it has nothing to do with the impeachment case of the Chief
Justice.
"It is not Charina who is the subject of the impeachment trial," Salvador
stressed.
Earlier, Robles linked two properties in the United States to the Chief
Justice, even when it was evident that she was aware of the fact that the
properties were not owned by him.
Many see it as part of the villification campaign against Corona by the
pro-Aquino TV network as it picks up her blogs and pass it off as "legitimate"
news, despite the blogger's clear innuendos which are not backed up by proof.
Robles, in the same TV interview, claimed that while she gets her information
through "crowdsourcing" for her blog, that she had at least 10 bloggers who gave
her leads about the Corona property, with at least one giving her the evidence.
But it was clear that the claimed evidence was the property in Sacramento
that is owned by the daughter Charina, and not the Chief Justice.
The defense team had already stated that the Chief Justice and his wife,
Cristina, do not have properties in the United States and those listed in the
blog of Raissa Robles are just used as mailing lists by the Coronas since their
daughters used to rent these houses.
The Chief Justice himself ,in a statement pointed to the property in Florida
as one owned by a family friend "where we stayed in the few times that we
visited Tampa and Orlando Disney World."
Robles' blog is said to be used as a conduit of past demolition jobs against
the Chief Justice.
She has also been pointed to by a Tribune source as one of the "small ladies"
who passed on the manufactured dollar account photocopy of the Chief Justice.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
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