Corona daughter, husband insist on dismissal of tax evasion raps

The daughter of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona and her husband on Friday insisted that the P30-million tax evasion case filed against them by the Bureau of Internal Revenue should be dismissed.

 

In a rejoinder they filed with the Department of Justice, Carla Corona-Castillo and husband Constantino Castillo III said the BIR failed to show there was probable cause to charge them in court for evading tax liabilities to the government.

 

The Castillo couple attended Friday's continuation of the DOJ's preliminary investigation into the case. Charged with them was the former magistrate, who allegedly evaded taxes worth P120.5 million for the nine years he was in public office.

 

The Corona and Castillos' lawyer, Anacleto Diaz, had earlier been allowed to keep his clients' affidavits confidential. The panel of prosecutors said the affidavits could be made public only with permission from Diaz. 

 

GMA News Online had asked for copies of the Castillos' rejoinder from Diaz but the lawyer has yet to grant the request.

 

Corona's daughter was charged for allegedly also violating Section 254 and Section 255 of the NIRC in 2010. The BIR said Carla only filed tax returns for 2008 and 2009, where she declared a total income of P228,040.

 

Carla's husband, meanwhile, was charged for allegedly evading taxes in 2003 and 2009, and failing to file a tax return in 2003.

  

The BIR said Castillo first registered with the BIR in 1998, but only filed income tax returns from 2005 to 2009. He declared a total income of only P1.933 million for those five years.

 

Despite the couple's total declared income amounting to P3 million, the BIR said they were able to acquire three properties: a P10.5-million property in Project 3, Quezon City; a P15-million commercial property on Kalayaan Avenue, Quezon City; and an P18-million mansion in La Vista, Quezon City.

 

The BIR computed the couple's income tax deficiency at more than P30 million: P20.25 million for Mr. Castillo, and P9.93 million for Carla.

 

Meanwhile, the BIR asked and was given ten days or until November 26 to submit a reply to Mr. Corona's counter-affidavit, which he personally submitted to the DOJ last October 25.

 

At the time, the former chief magistrate said he believed the tax evasion case was merely "the next chapter [karugtong na yugto]" after the "highly political" decision of the Senate impeachment court, convicting him of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution.

 

He was unseated, via a conviction from the Senate impeachment court, for failing to declare some P200 million worth of assets in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth while in public office. — Mark Merueñas/RSJ, GMA News