Aquino dares Corona: Open dollar accounts to public scrutiny

(Updated 7:25 p.m.) President Benigno Aquino III on Friday challenged impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona to show that he is not hiding anything by allowing public scrutiny of his alleged dollar accounts with PSBank.   “Public servant tayo ‘no, may public trust na kasama doon. Maganda sana magboluntaryo na ‘yung nasasakdal kung walang tinatago. ‘Bakit? Buksan niyo para makita niyo wala akong tinatago’,” Aquino told reporters in a briefing during the launch of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s Specialista Technopreneurship Program in Taguig City.   The Supreme Court en banc on Thursday voted 8-5, stopping  the Senate impeachment court from scrutinizing Corona's foreign currency deposit accounts.   The prosecution panel is accusing Corona of maintaining dollar accounts in PSBank, claiming a balance of at least $700,000, or roughly P30 million.     No refuge for criminals   Aquino said the interest of 95 million Filipinos should have priority over those of the 31 impeachable officials of the country if ever the Corona’s case will serve as precedent to other impeachment cases.   “Ninety-five million ang Filipino, po. Dapat ho ‘yung interes nung ninety-five million ay talagang nangingibabaw doon sa interes nung thirty-one na pwedeng ma-impeach. ‘Yon ang mga palaisipin na bumabalot sa isip natin tungkol diyan sa dollar accounts na ito,” he said.   Asked if he thinks the Foreign Currency Deposit Act should be reviewed, Aquino believed the law had no intention of giving refuge to criminals.   “Wala naman sigurong intensyon itong batas na ’to na magre-refuge ang mga taong may, parang… those who committed an injustice should not find refuge in this particular law,” he said.   “Pag ikaw ay magnanakaw — hindi ko sinasabing ‘yung sa nasasakdal ay napatunayan nang nagnakaw — pero kung magnakaw ka nilagay mo sa isang foreign currency puwede mo ng itago sa pag-iimbestiga. Hindi naman siguro ganoon ang layunin ng mga nagsabatas nitong batas na ‘to,” he added.   The SC ruling stemmed from a petition filed by the PSBank asking the high tribunal to stop the Senate impeachment court from examining Corona's dollar accounts.   PSBank said revealing the contents of the accounts is in violation of the Foreign Currency Deposit Act, which allows details of foreign currency deposit accounts to be revealed only with the account owner’s consent.   Aquino believes that the SC issued the TRO based on a very narrow definition of the Foreign Currency Deposit Act.   Amending the law   Section 8 of Republic Act 6426 or the Foreign Currency Deposit Act safeguards the confidential nature of such bank accounts.   The law states: "All foreign currency deposits... are hereby declared as and considered of an absolutely confidential nature and, except upon the written permission of the depositor, in no instance shall foreign currency deposits be examined, inquired or looked into by any person, government official, bureau or office whether judicial or administrative or legislative, or any other entity whether public or private; Provided, however, that said foreign currency deposits shall be exempt from attachment, garnishment, or any other order or process of any court, legislative body, government agency or any administrative body whatsoever."   Meanwhile, ACT Teachers Party-List Representative Antonio Tinio has filed House Bill No. 5809 to amend RA 6426 and provide exemptions so that foreign currency deposit accounts under litigation, such as the Corna impeachment trial, may be examined in public.   It specifically seeks to allow the inquiry and examination of foreign currency deposits "upon the written permission of the depositor, or in cases of impeachment, or upon order of a competent court in cases of bribery or dereliction of duty of public officials, or in cases where the money deposited or invested is the subject matter of litigation."   It likewise seeks to remove the provision which exempts foreign currency deposits from "attachment, garnishment, or any other order or process of any court, legislative body, government agency or any administrative body whatsoever."   In explaining the rationale behind HB 5809, Tinio said in his note, "Subsequent developments have rendered obsolete these special protections provided by law to foreign currency deposits. While there may have been a relative scarcity of foreign currency in the domestic banking and financial system in the 1970s, this is clearly no longer the case today,".   Obvious discrepancies   In his interview with reporter, President Aquino noted the obvious discrepancies between Corona’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALN and the remaining balances in the chief justice’s peso deposit accounts, which came to light in testimonies of PSBank officials who took the impeachment court’s witness stand.   “Parang automatic… kailangang malaman bakit, bakit hindi tugma. Ngayon kung biglang haharangin ‘yung pagsiyasat niyan, pangit ‘yung mensaheng kinakalat natin sa lahat na ito ang paraan para maitago,” he said.   Aquino likened the TRO on Corona’s dollar accounts to the TRO on the travel ban against former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.   “’Yung TRO sa paglakbay ni Ginang Arroyo… masyadong mabilis ‘yung proseso. Kaya imbes na ten days naging three days para walang pagdidinig na oral argument. Bago mapag-usapan ‘yung issue, pakakawalan na siya noong panahon na ‘yon,” he said.   Congress has the sole and exclusive power to impeachment cases, Aquino said, echoing his administration’s position on the matter.                                       “Parang hinati ‘yung impeachment doon sa dalawang sangay ng gobyernong ito, at may pananaw na hindi sila pwedeng panghimasukan ng ibang mga branches ng government,” he said.   The President refused to answer a reporter’s query: Would step in should a stalemate ensue between the Senate and the Supreme Court over Corona.   “Hypothetical ‘yung sa’yo, eh. Tingnan natin kung umabot na doon, ‘no. Kasi kailangan nating makita reaction ng Senate,” Aquino noted. —With a report by Kimberly Tan/VS, GMA News