PHNO-HL: PALACE, CORONA TRADE BARBS ON $10-M BANK ACCOUNTS /PART OF NOY RETALIATION

PALACE, CORONA TRADE BARBS ON $10-M
BANK ACCOUNTS /PART OF NOY RETALIATION

MANILA, APRIL 30, 2012 (INQUIRER) By
Christine O. Avendaño, Tetch Torres —Malacañang and Chief Justice Renato Corona
on Monday exchanged seething remarks in connection with $10 million worth of
bank deposits allegedly owned by Corona.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales (photo) had asked Corona to explain
the bank deposits in response to complaints filed separately by former Akbayan
Party List Representative Risa Hontiveros, Akbayan Representative Walden Bello,
and Emmanuel Tiu Santos.
Morales gave the Chief Justice 72 hours to explain the alleged bank accounts.

In a statement he issued on Monday, Corona said the recent report that he
allegedly owned $10-million in bank accounts was part of the Aquino
administration's retaliation after the Supreme Court ordered the distribution of
Hacienda Luisita.
Hacienda Luisita is owned by the family of former President Corazon Aquino ,
mother of incumbent President Benigno Aquino III.
"Obviously, (it's) a clear retaliation for our decision on Hacienda Luisita,"
Corona said in a text message sent to reporters.
But Malacanang later in the day turned the tables on Corona, pointing out
that the Ombudsman had asked the Chief Justice to explain the alleged bank
deposits through a letter dated April 23, or a day before the high court issued
its final decision on Hacienda Luisita.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda (photo) said that
"obviously", the Ombudsman's letter to Corona was not a retaliation on the
Hacienda Luisita ruling.
"It is highly possible that since the Chief Justice already knew that he was
required to explain by the Ombudsman, he is now conditioning the public to think
the letter was a retaliation, when in fact it came before the Luisita decision,"
Lacierda said in a text message to reporters.
He said the Chief Justice "should be more prudent with his statements."
"It clearly shows his unstatesmanlike behavior," Lacierda added.
Corona, in his earlier statement, denied he owns the bank deposits and said
that Malacanang was behind the new charges against him as a result of the high
court ruling on Hacienda Luisita.
"I do not own $10million. It simply does not exist. It's part of the black
propaganda and mind conditioning preparatory to the resumption of trial on May
7," the Chief Justice said.
"Why are they putting this out in the Inquirer and not in the impeachment
court," he also asked.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported Saturday that the Ombudsman gave the
Chief Justice 72 hours to explain allegations raised in several complaints that
he allegedly owned $10million worth of bank accounts.
Corona said the order of the Ombudsman is "no different from the phoney LRA
(Land Registration Authority) list, phoney U.S. property list, phoney surveys…
The Ombudsman has no jurisdiction over the Chief Justice."
Corona's lawyers pointed out that the bank accounts are already part of the
impeachment proceedings.
Defense Lawyer Tranquil Salvador said that with the ongoing impeachment trial
against Corona, the Office of the Ombudsman has lost jurisdiction to handle the
complaint.
Corona: $10M deposit part of Aquino 'retaliation'
By Tetch Torres INQUIRER.net 1:38 pm | Monday, April 30th, 2012
share69 51
MANILA, Philippines—Chief Justice Renato Corona on Monday said the
recent report that he allegedly owned $10-million in bank accounts was part of
the Aquino administration's retaliation after the Supreme Court ordered the
distribution of Hacienda Luisita.
Hacienda Luisita is owned by the family of former President Corazon Aquino ,
mother of incumbent President Benigno Aquino III.
"Obviously, (it's) a clear retaliation for our decision on Hacienda Luisita,"
Corona said in a text message sent to reporters.
"I do not own $10million. It simply does not exist. It's part of the black
propaganda and mind conditioning preparatory to the resumption of trial on May
7," the Chief Justice said
"Why are they putting this out in the Inquirer and not in the impeachment
court," he added.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, a member of the Inquirer Group of Companies
reported Saturday that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales gave the Chief Justice
72 hours to explain allegations raised in several complaints that he allegedly
owned $10million worth of bank accounts.
Morales' order was in response on complaints filed separately by former
Akbayan Party List Representative Risa Hontiveros, Akbayan Representative Walden
Bello, and Emmanuel Tiu Santos.
The Chief Justice said the order of the Ombudsman is "no different from the
phoney LRA (Land Registration Authority) list, phoney U.S. property list, phoney
surveys… The Ombudsman has no jurisdiction over the Chief Justice."
Last week, the high court affirmed with finality the distribution of the
almost 5,000 hectare Hacienda Luisita pegging the price to the 1989 value of the
land instead of HLI's position that it should be pegged in the 2006 market
value. Thus, Haciencda Luisita Inc. will be getting about P196-million instead
of about P10 billion just compensation.
Corona's lawyers pointed out that the bank accounts are already part of the
impeachment proceedings
Defense Lawyer Tranquil Salvador said that with the ongoing impeachment
proceedings, the Office of the Ombudsman has lost jurisdiction to handle the
complaint.



Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi

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NEWS ONLINE
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