Senators split on SALN property value issue

Even the senators are in disagreement on what "value" of Chief Justice Renato Corona's properties should have been declared on his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN).

 

During Thursday's trial, the defense and prosecution teams debated on whether Corona should have included the acquisition cost of his properties on his SALN. The chief justice only included the assessed and fair market values, some of which have already been affirmed by two city assessors.

 

Corona was impeached for, among others, allegedly not properly disclosing his SALN.

 

Senator Ralph Recto, chairman of the Senate committee on ways and means, told reporters in a text message Friday that the "usual practice" is to use the acquisition cost in SALN declarations.

 

"It is a big deal. All government employees know this. The acquisition cost is the basis of the computation for the total assets," added Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, chairman of the Senate committee on civil service and government reorganization, in a separate text message.

 

Not questionable? 

 

But Sen. Bongbong Marcos, in an interview with reporters Thursday, said the absence of the acquisition cost was "not questionable."

 

"I don't know what the significance of that could be...maybe slightly improper but beyond that I dont know what the significance is supposed to be. The assessed value is there, yun ang pinagbabatayan ng buwis nandyan. Yung fair market value nandyan," he said.

 

"The significance is yet to be explained to us. I'm not making conclusions about that," he added.

 

Senator Edgardo Angara, for his part, said he thought public officials were given a choice on what to declare.

 

"Sa SALN as I understand...you [are given] a choice.  Either you put the acquisition cost or the fair market value or the assessed value... tatlo yun eh you have a choice of three valuations," Angara said in an interview with reporters.

 

Though he noted that to "make life simpler" for him, he usually declared the acquisition cost.  "It's more or else the most to me objective measure of the value of what I acquired," he said.

 

Marcos likewise said that he included the acquisition cost on his SALN.

 

"I think so. I'm careful with that SALN because as I always tell everyone, the scrutiny that the CJ is being put under, we have been under that scrutiny for the last 26 years kaya maingat kami sa ganyang bagay," he said.

 

Not only CJ?

 

After the trial on Thursday, the defense team said they may present the SALN of some public officials - maybe even senators - to prove there are also other public servants who have the same practice as Corona.

 

In a text message, Sen. Francis Escudero said that it is "within their rights" to use whatever evidence is available to defend their client.

 

In a separate text message, Sen. Panfilo Lacson also said Corona's team can present its defense in any way they want in order to convince the senator-judges and the public of his innocence.

 

At the same time, however, he reminded the defense panel that it is Corona who is on trial, not the senators.

 

"Kung naghahanap ng damay ang defense, they may be able to get it but [in] another forum...at most, what he can accomplish is to open the senators to possible criminal charges for violation of RA 6713 and 3019. The bottom line still is, was there good or bad faith when CJ Corona swore to the truthfulness of his SALN during the years in question?" he said. — RSJ, GMA News