CORONAS, BASAS RECONCILE / SENATE
PREPARES CJ CORONA VERDICT
[PHOTO - Chief Justice
Renato Corona (in white barong) kiss and make-up with the children of Jose Basa
III at the Senate during the continuation of his impeachment trial on Friday.
Corona lambasted the elder Basa in his testimony last Tuesday and revealed
family squabbles over real estate properties. SENATE
POOL]
MANILA, MAY 26, 2012 (INQUIRER) In a surprise move on Friday,
the feuding family of the wife Chief Justice Renato Corona has reconciled right
inside the session hall of the Senate trying the impeachment case of Corona.
It was Corona's wife, Cristina, who first approached her niece, Ana Basa and
sisters seated at the gallery of the session hall while the Senate acting as an
impeachment court was on a break.
The Basas accepted and returned Mrs. Corona's gesture. They engaged in small
talk.
Just after a few minutes, Mrs. Corona got the Chief Justice who was seated on
a wheelchair just steps away from them and brought him to the Basas.
For a few seconds, the Chief Justice and the Basas hugged each other.
They also posed for a picture as a remembrance of their reconciliation.
Coronas and Basas have openly fought over the ownership of the Basa Guidote
Enterprise Inc owned by the family of Mrs. Corona.
FROM THE ABS-CBN
CJ trial drama: Why Coronas, Basas reconciled
by David Dizon, ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 05/25/2012
7:38 PM | Updated as of 05
[PHOTO -Carmen Basa (center) and Cristina Corona (right) make peace
after 30 years.]
MANILA, Philippines – An interesting development during a break in the
impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona was the reconciliation of the
Corona family and their relatives, the Basas.
Footage taken by ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) showed Cristina, Carla and Chief
Justice Corona shaking hands and hugging their relatives from the Basa family
inside the Senate session hall during a lull in the trial.
Baby Nebrida, a friend of both families, said the reconciliation was totally
impromptu and came about through a news report of ANC.
She said a friend, former Antique Governor Sally Zaldivar, texted her about
an ANC news report that the Basas were willing to reconcile with the Coronas.
This was despite a 30-year intra-corporate dispute between the families over
Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc (BGEI).
Nebrida said she talked to Betsy Tanchavez, daughter of Mario Basa and cousin
of Cristina, who confirmed the news.
"So I talked to [Mrs.] Tina[Corona] who's been my friend and we've been
praying together. I said, 'Tina, Forgiveness is the way to healing. You have to
forgive and then you will be healed. I know it hurts you but don't you want to
reconcile?' And she said: 'Of course, of course, I want to reconcile. In fact, I
never said anything bad about them with all the things I've been reading. I kept
quiet because my family is my family. I don't want to throw my dirty linen
around and I value family,'" she said.
[PHOTO- After a decades-long feud, members of the Basa and Corona
family reconcile--on national TV.]
She added that Cristina's daughter, Carla, also came forward and said she
missed the Basas. "I miss them. They are my aunts and most of them, I don't even
know them anymore," she recounted Carla as saying.
When Cristina agreed to the reconciliation, Nebrida said she, former Inquirer
columnist Bel Cunanan, and Philippine Star columnist Chit Pedrosa talked to
Tanchavez about finally bringing the 2 families together. She said she pushed
for the reconciliation during a lull in the trial on Friday since doing it after
the hearing would be a spectacle.
"It was on a break and I saw the sincerity of Tina and Carla [Corona]. I went
to Betsy's side and then Ana Basa came to me and said: 'Actually, I really want
to hold CJ and kiss him and wish him luck.' I asked: 'Are you sure?' And she
said: 'Yeah, yeah, yeah.' So we brought Tina there, middle middle ground so Bel
Cunanan, me and Sally and Chit Pedrosa, we were in tears. It was so moving," she
said.
During the break, Mrs. Corona and her daughter, Carla, approached their Basa
cousins sitting in the VIP section of the Senate session hall and hugged and
kissed them.
'All's well that ends well?'
BGEI was put on the spotlight after Corona reported in his statements
of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) that he had obtained an P11 million
cash advance from the company for the purchase of several real properties. The
row involved Mrs. Corona's parents and the 3 Basa siblings, Jose, Mario, and
Flor Conception.
Corona, in his testimony last Tuesday, said had no choice but to discuss the
family feud. He alleged Cristina's relatives, led by her uncle Jose, swindled
away from the entire clan, specifically from Mrs. Corona's mother, a
P2.5-billion lot in Libis, Quezon City.
Despite this, it was his wife that was tagged as the swindler in the media,
Corona said. He also described Jose as a "spoiled brat" and "jobless."
In a press conference after Corona's testimony on Tuesday, one of the
daughters of Jose, lambasted the chief justice and called his statement "foul"
since their late father cannot defend himself.
Family over money
During the reconciliation, Nebrida said Cristina was already talking
about how to settle the ongoing row over BGEI.
"I told her: 'That's just money. What is important is your relationship with
your family.' And then she was going to say, making a decision. At this point,
you know, they went through so much suffering. Tina, just take it one day at a
time. This would be another day. You meet and then you negotiate whatever there
is. Just enjoy each other, I said, and forgive," she said.
"I told Tina, 'I know it's very painful but offer it for the acquittal of the
chief justice," Nebrida said.
Nebrida said everyone was hugging and kissing each other when the chief
justice called to her and asked what was happening. She then told him about the
reconciliation and said the Basas also wanted to meet him.
The Basas then walked to Corona, who was still on the witness stand, and also
hugged and talked to the chief justice.
"They went through so much. Today is such a blessing. It was not really
organized. It was so unexpected and ANC initiated it. That little thing and
somebody picked it up," she said.
She added: "It was also through their own, they are willing to hug each other
and reconcile and be one family again. For 30 years, Tina said they haven't been
in touch with each other. For all you know, they had that desire but probably
nagkakahiyaan lang sila."
Senate prepares for Corona verdict as defense, prosecution
rest case By Maila Ager INQUIRER.net 6:57 pm | Friday, May 25th, 2012
MANILA, Philippines – The Senate, acting as an impeachment court, is
ready to give its verdict next week on Chief Justice Renato Corona after the
defense and prosecution teams rested their case.
After 42 days, the defense and prosecution made a formal offer of evidence
Friday, paving the way for the oral arguments on Monday and the Senate's verdict
on Tuesday.
"This case is now submitted for final resolution by this impeachment court
subject to the oral argument of the two sides to be held next Monday at 2:00 in
the afternoon," said Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, who presides over the
trial.
Enrile said the Senate would render its judgment on the case after the oral
arguments or at the very latest on Tuesday.
[PHOTO -Chief Justice Renato Corona is helped out of an ambulance upon
his arrival at the Senate on Friday to continue his testimony in his impeachment
trial. Corona decided to appear at the Senate against his doctors'
recommendations. Photo by Joseph Vidal, Senate
Pool]
Against the advice of his doctors, Corona returned to the witness stand and
admitted owning around $2.4 million in four banks and another P80 million
"co-mingled" funds in three peso accounts.
"Are you willing to reveal kung magkano ang laman ng iyong dollar
accounts?[how much your dollar accounts are]" Senate Minority Leader Alan
Cayetano asked Corona.
"Opo [Yes]," Corona answered, "Sa humigit kumulang $2.4 million US dollars
[It was more or less $2.4 million]."
"Pero gusto ko pong ipaliwanag na hindi iyon ipinasok sa bangko ng P2.4
million. Yun po ay binili over so many years at yung exchange rate noong una
akong bumili ay P2:$1 noong 60s [But I want to explain that the $2.4 million was
not deposited entirely to the bank. It was bought over the years and the
exchange rate then was only P2:$1 during the 60's]," he said.
While it would appear that the value of his dollars was P90 million based on
the current exchange rate, Corona said this was not the case because he bought
it when the exchange rate was much lesser than the present P43: $1.
"We're talking here of more than 35 years. Kumikita po ng interest yan [It
earns interest]," he pointed out.
Corona said he did not touch his money because aside from living a simple
life, he said he has "current extreme of income" which he uses for everyday
expenses of his family.
"Kaya po kami maraming cash kasi buong buhay po namin…wala po kaming nabiling
property. Lahat po ng pera namin ay nakatali sa cash [That's why we have lots of
cash because we are unable to buy property. All our money is tied with cash],"
he said.
[PHOTO -Chief Justice Renato Corona is wheeled out of the Senate
building under the glare of the media covering the impeachment trial on Friday.
Corona continued with his testimony and was allowed to leave the witness stand
early due to his medical condition. Photo by Rem Zamora for
ABS-CBNnews.com]
Besides, Corona pointed out that he had earned his dollars when he was still
in private sector.
Without mincing words, the Chief Justice also admitted that he has around P80
million "co-mingled" funds in three peso accounts.
"Ang kwenta ko po ay humigit-kumulang mga 80, eight-zero, million pesos [May
estimate was more or less P80 million]. Ito po ay (They are) co-mingled funds,"
he said, this time, responding to Senate Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada's
query.
He said the P80 million "co-mingled funds" consisted of about P34.7 million
from the proceeds of the sale of the Basa Guidote Enterprise Inc., previously
owned by the family of his wife, Cristina; another P10 million from its earnings
over 11 years; P15 million from his daughter, Charina; P4 million from another
daughter; Carla, P2 million from his son, Francis; an estimated P6.8 million
interests earned by these funds from the Bank of the Philippine Island.
Corona admitted he did not declare both the dollar and peso accounts in his
statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
He said he did not declare his peso accounts because since he only managed it
while he invoked the confidentiality clause in the foreign currency law for
dollar accounts.
At the start of his testimony, Corona submitted his waiver allowing the
opening of all his dollar and peso bank accounts without any condition. He even
suggested to the Senate to summon the bank managers to the trial.
But the Senate decided not to act on it, saying it could not act as a
"producer of evidence."
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
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PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
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