Corona relatives leading in Batangas polls

Relatives of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona who are seeking public office seem have better luck than him: They are leading in partial unofficial tallies of the just concluded elections.

Based on 75.31 percent canvassed election returns, Corona's cousin, Alfredo "Fred" Corona, is ahead of his lone rival for a seat in the Batangas Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial council), with 107,379 votes to Divina Balba's 85,645.

Meanwhile, Alfredo's daughter, Jhoanna Corona, is also ahead of her rival Pol Mark Fajardo by almost 7,000 votes in the vice mayoral race in the Coronas' home city of Tanauan.

Alfredo's brother and the former chief justice's other cousin, Benedicto "Ben" Corona, meanwhile, leads the 24 candidates vying for a seat as member of the Sangguniang Panglungsod in Tanauan's lone district. Ben so far has 23,611 votes.

While being relatives of the former top judge, Alfredo's side of the family was earlier reported as supposedly distancing itself from the impeachment trial.

Alfredo was quoted in a newspaper report as saying that Renato moved to Manila when he was still in elementary. He also said  other members of the Corona clan rarely see the former chief justice's family due to their busy schedules.

All three Coronas vying for a seat in Batangas are running under President Benigno Aquino III's Liberal Party.

The 64-year-old Corona, born in Tanauan on October 15, 1948, was convicted by an impeachment court in May last year for hiding around P200 million in dollar and peso deposits in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

Corona is also facing a P120-million tax evasion case in connection with his supposed tax liabilities from 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2010 while still in public office. — Mark Merueñas/KBK, GMA News