Prosecution: Defense using technicalities to hide truth on CJ Corona's assets
The prosecution team on Tuesday accused Chief Justice Renato Corona’s lawyers of resorting to technicalities to escape transparency and accountability on the chief magistrate’s properties.
“Huwag natin pigilan ‘yung paglabas ng mga dokumento. They have the best defense lawyers, pero huwag pigilan ang paglabas ng konsepto ng accountability and transparency lalo na kung alleged ito sa complaint,” Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo, one of the prosecution’s spokesmen, said at a press briefing.
Quimbo made this statement after the defense camp submitted a memorandum to the Senate impeachment court asking the senator-judges to stop the prosecutors from presenting evidence on Corona’s assets because it is not included in the Articles of Impeachment.
“Most importantly, Article II of the Grounds for Impeachment does not charge CJ Corona [with] ill-gotten wealth and/or graft and corruption,” the defense said in a memorandum on Tuesday.
“Clearly, Article II of the Grounds for Impeachment does not charge CJ Corona [with] failing to disclose properties in his SALN. It does not charge him [with] inaccurate disclosure of properties in his SALN. It does not charge him [with] undervaluing the disclosed properties in his SALN,” the memorandum said.
Corona's SALNs
Corona's SALNs
Article II, which is currently being tackled by the Senate, accuses Corona of non-disclosure of his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
Supporting paragraphs under this article state that Corona is “reported” to have concealed some of his properties, and is “suspected and accused of having accumulated ill-gotten wealth.”
During the first week of Corona’s impeachment trial, the prosecutors showed evidence on the chief justice’s properties, which they claim were undervalued in his SALN.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Arlene Bag-ao, one of the public prosecutors, meanwhile said that Article II in the impeachment complaint deals with the public disclosure of a “truthful and genuine” SALN.
She added that the defense should just let the presentation of evidence on Corona’s assets since undervaluation and non-declaration of properties, in effect, means “there is no public disclosure at all as required under the Constitution.”
“The defense has thrown a barrage of objections against the presentation of land titles allegedly owned by Corona and his family. They are expected to continue their legal maneuverings in the coming days,” she said in a statement.
The prosecution is expected to continue presenting testimonies and marking evidence on Corona’s assets when the Senate impeachment trial resumes at 2 p.m. Tuesday. –KG, GMA News
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