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Day 20 Corona trial highlights: BSP and AMLC accessed dollar account records

February 20, 2012 9:34pm
Reminder from Santiago about foreign currency accounts 
 
  • At the resumption of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, Senator-judge Miriam Defensor-Santiago reminded the participants that asking any questions about anyone’s foreign currency deposits without the consent of the depositor is a violation of the law, specifically Section 8 of Republic Act 6426.
  • Santiago praised Annabelle Tiongson, Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) Katipunan branch manager, for immediately reporting to her superiors the visit of Rep. Jorge Banal on January 31 ostensibly to ask for help in authenticating copies of Corona’s purported bank records.
  • The senator advised legislators to “read the law more carefully” because under the rules of evidence, it is presumed that a person caught in possession of illegally obtained documents is the same person who stole the records.
  • About 40 members from the House of Representatives attended the hearing on Monday to express support for Banal, who was expected to explain to the court how he got hold of the documents and why he wanted Tiongson to verify them.

 BSP and AMLC saw Corona's dollar account record

  • PSBank president Pascual Garcia III testified that Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) accessed the purported bank records of Chief Justice Renato Corona. The prosecution panel had earlier submitted documents allegedly showing that Corona has $700,000 in his account.
  • During questioning by Senate President and presiding officer Enrile, Garcia said Bangko Sentral and AMLC officials “at least saw the signature card” for Corona’s dollar accounts during an audit of PSBank from September to November 2010.
  • Garcia said the “specimen signature card did not have the classification PEP” or politically exposed persons, a tag required by AMLC and Bangko Sentral on accounts of elected public officials and senior government officers.
  • To determine if the documents submitted by the prosecution are indeed fake as earlier proclaimed by PSBank-Katipunan branch manager Annabelle Tiongson, Enrile asked Garcia to bring the source document of Corona’s signature cards to the impeachment court.

AMLC clarifies role in BSP audit team

  • Senator-judge Aquilino Pimentel III clarified to Garcia that “the AMLC does not conduct regular audits” and said the PSBank president “might be confused.” Pimentel said he called the AMLC and they “categorically deny” having conducted an audit. He explained that an AMLC official merely accompanies the Bangko Sentral audit team. He asked Garcia to bring a second specimen card of Corona’s signature. 
  • Senator-judge Joker Arroyo expressed apprehension that bank audits might be used for political vendetta.
  • Senator-judge Panfilo Lacson suggested that handwriting analysts from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) be tapped to determine whether Corona’s signature does appear on the PSBank document which has yet to be authenticated. Enrile said it was the job of the prosecution, but Lacson said the speculations over the signatures should end. Enrile said Lacson’s suggestion would be discussed in caucus.
  • Private prosecutor Demetrio Custodio tried to adopt Garcia as prosecution witness as far as the additional bank accounts were concerned, but he was countered by lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas. Enrile ruled that the marking of the additional Corona bank accounts as evidence would be “deferred” until the issue of whose witness Garcia was would be resolved.

Corona transferred P37 million to one account the day he was impeached
 
  • On the day he was impeached by the House of Representatives on Dec. 12, 2011, Corona transferred over P37 million from three accounts he closed on the same day to a single checking account, Garcia testified. 
  • Garcia said the chief justice made the deposits in the form of credit memoranda for the following amounts: P7,397,566.36, P12,988,951.36, and P17,270,654.97.
 
- Reported by Andreo Calonzo, Rouchelle Dinglasan, and Marnie Tonson/YA/VS, GMA News
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