Palace official to Corona: Explain firearms

Malacañang on Saturday urged impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona to explain the wide array of firearms he reportedly owns, especially if he did not declare these as among his assets. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the firearms should have been included in Corona’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities (SALNs).

“Kung substantial ang value (If the value of the firearms is substantial), that has to be declared also in (his) SALN. It is something he will have to answer, if it was unreported asset on top of the bank deposits and the properties brought out in the impeachment trial,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. An earlier report cited records of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosives Office showing Corona has owned at least 31 licensed firearms. The PNP records showed Corona owned a virtual armory, involving firearms from revolvers to high-powered machine guns. Corona had been accused of poking a gun at a caretaker in 1997, when he allegedly said, "Baka gusto mong pasabugin kita (You may want me to shoot you)." But the licenses of the firearms have expired except for two a .380-caliber pistol (Serial No. 374-2900), which expires October 15, 2015; and a 9mm machine pistol (T0624-07V0060978), which expires on October 15, 2014. $1.8-M bank account? On the other hand, Valte declined to talk about unsolicited text messages involving a supposed $1.8-million bank account of Corona. “Nakatanggap ako ng text message. Utang na loob tigilan nyo ako (pero) wala akong information [tungkol sa umano'y dollar account ni Corona] na sinasabi ng text message,"  she said. she said. — LBG, GMA News