BIR chief: Corona daughter 'incapable' of buying P18M lot in QC

By ANDREO CALONZO, GMA News

Published January 26, 2012 3:57pm

Bureau of Internal Review (BIR) chief Kim Jacinto-Henares on Thursday said the declared income of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s daughter was not enough for her to have bought a P18-million lot in Quezon City from her own mother.

During the continuation of the impeachment trial on Thursday, Henares said that her agency was “surprised” to find out that Ma. Carla Constantino-Corona only had a taxable income of P8,476 in 2009, but was able to buy the lot in La Vista from her mother, Cristina, one year later.

“The daughter has very minimal income and is therefore not capable of buying properties,” she said before the Senate impeachment court.

She added that the BIR is still investigating whether the property was given as a donation or if it was indeed illegally acquired.

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, earlier subpoenaed Henares and required her to bring the original and certified true copies of the annual income tax returns (ITR) of Corona (for the years 1992 to 2010), his wife Cristina (1992 to 2010), his daughter Carla (2000-2010), his son-in-law Constantino Castillo (2000 to 2010), his son Francis (2005 to 2010), and his other daughter Charina (2005 to 2010).

The testimony of Henares, which started Wednesday, falls within Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which alleges that Corona failed to disclose his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).–KG/HS, GMA News

Tags: bir, bureauofinternalrevenue, coronaimpeachment, renatocorona, carlacorona