Palace to Corona: Think of own tax case defense before Luisita farmers' plight

Malacañang on Sunday advised ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona to concentrate on defending himself in his tax evasion case before thinking of the plight of farmers of Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte gave Corona this unsolicited advice Sunday even as she said the Department of Agrarian Reform is working to address the farmers' issue. “Sagutin (muna) niya ang sinampang kaso sa kanya. Tinatrabaho na 'yan ng DAR para sa distribution (He should first defend himself against the tax evasion case. Besides, the DAR is working to address the issue),” she said on government-run dzRB radio. Last Thursday, Corona showed up to respond to a multimillion-peso tax evasion case filed against him, but blamed the Aquino administration for his legal woes. He also asked why the government has not implemented the Supreme Court’s decision that ordered the distribution of the lands of the Aquino-Cojuangco-owned Hacienda Luisita. The high court, under Corona’s watch at the time, had ordered the distribution of the lands to farmer beneficiaries. Corona has since been impeached and was stripped of his post after being convicted by a Senate impeachment court. Valte said DAR Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes had already given his statements on the issue. “Siguro kung mabasa natin makita ang progreso sa pag-distribute (If we read his statements, we can see there is progress in the distribution of the lands),” she said. — LBG, GMA News