March Impeachment of Renato Corona

1 march

1.1 break
1.2 march 12
1.3 march 13
1.4 march 14
1.5 march 15
1.6 march 16–18
1.7 march 19
1.8 march 20
1.9 march 21
1.10 march 22

march
break

the senate postponed trial week let defense prepare presentation, , prosecution make offer of evidence. tupas asked court allow them make final offer of evidence, granted. senate decide on prosecution s offer on march 8; trial scheduled resume on march 12.

both enrile , house of representatives deputy minority leader danilo suarez expressed preferences corona testify. prosecution pointed out corona cannot able explain how acquired alleged 31 million-peso wealth.

on march 2, prosecution formally offered evidence senate cuevas said corona won t testify @ trial, saying members of impeachment court can examine him on angles , justice cuevas cannot object.

on march 5, senate voted accept peso bank records evidence in trial; next day, court voted dismiss defense s motion suppress evidence related corona s psbank account, , admonish instead of punishing private prosecutor aguirre after cited contempt.

corona had media blitz on march 8, when gave live interviews on tv , radio stations; first time spoke after trial started. in interview @ gma s morning show unang hirit, said lost confidence in psbank, citing psbank clients saying account details had been leaked, causing him withdraw of deposits @ katipunan avenue branch. in same interview, cited supreme court s ruling on hacienda luisita, ruled farmers should possess lands, instead of current owners, family members of president aquino. prosecution found corona s explanation on psbank withdrawal incredible.

march 12

the court voted accept prosecution s offer of evidence, , doesn t entertain motion on articles dropped prosecution. defense presents navotas representative toby tiangco, 1 of congressmen not sign impeachment complaint. tiangco testified impeachment complaint meant control or scare supreme court. narrated speaker feliciano belmonte, jr., in caucus on december 12, said corona should impeached due closeness representative gloria macapagal-arroyo. related signed complaint, hesitated not able read complaint in full.

the senate voted deny defense s motion discuss complaint s validity, corona notified senate of trial, , chief justice replied @ notification. senate voted cite defense lawyer jose roy iii in indirect contempt on earlier statement president urged senators not honor supreme court s order preventing them scrutinizing chief justice s dollar accounts.

march 13

tiangco ends testimony after senator miriam defensor santiago asks him on motives in testifying @ trial. court hears testimony of araceli bayuga. discusses alpha lists in supreme court s tax records. next witness, demetrio vicente, bought coronas 1 of properties cited on complaint. vicente related circumstances of how not able change name of owner of title corona s wife him.

march 14

in cross examination, araceli bayuga notes supreme court justices not required liquidate allowances; had submit certification. added allowances not taxed. senators antonio trillanes , alan peter cayetano expressed apprehensions on bayuga s testimony, saying scope within article 2.4 disallowed senate. cuevas replied bayuga s testimony preliminary . defense presented secretaries of electoral tribunals in congress in corona member, gave him earnings of 5 million pesos per year.

march 15

bayuga s cross examination continued. bayuga asked alpha list of supreme court s payroll. discharged. next witness, roberto villaluz, officer-in-charge (oic) of taguig city assessor s office asked prove on corona s financial statements. senators asks questions on fair market values of real properties. enrile interrupts discussion, , reminds issue whether corona truthful on financial statements. villaluz discharged; next witness rodolfo ordanes, oic of quezon city assessor s office. drilon manifests since witness marking documents, process should expedited. ordanes not cross-examined discharged once finished marking documents.

march 16–18

after thursday session, senators had differing opinions on legality of corona s financial statements. ferdinand marcos, jr. said absence of acquisition cost not questionable ; edgardo angara thought public officials given choice on either put acquisition cost or fair market value or assessed value. recto stated usual practice put acquisition cost, while antonio trillanes iv noted acquisition cost basis of computation total assets.

corona s defense team stated present financial statements of other government officials denote common practice is. prosecutors disapproved of plan, saying corona cannot compare himself other government officials since chief justice, should held higher standard other public officers.

march 19

four witnesses presented defense. city assessor of makati, registers of deeds of quezon city , taguig, , property manager of columns property in makati. carlo alcantara, acting register of deeds of quezon city, testified on corona s ayala heights , la vista properties transferred other people. ayala heights property, cost 8 million pesos, owned corona s wife, , transferred rodel rivera , wife. la vista property, cost 18 million pesos, transferred corona couple daughter maria clara. alcantara provided other transfers of corona couple s properties in quezon city, cost combined 25.5 million pesos, maria clara s husband. randy rotaquio, property manager of columns, testified alleged properties of corona couple registered under daughter, maria charina.

march 20

the defense presented land registration authority (lra) administrator eulalio diaz iii; diaz testified provided niel tupas, jr., lead prosecutor, list of 45 properties corona couple , children said own. however, diaz later said of properties on list either no longer belonged corona couple, or never registered under couple s names. senators chastised prosecution panel , diaz. when asked on how happened, diaz replied list computer-generated . tupas denied prosecution misled public, saying have every reason believe authenticity of these documents. diaz, upon further questions loren legarda, admitted lra included in search names of corona s wife , children; s how lra came list of 45 properties.

march 21

the prosecution maintains corona owns 21 of 45 properties submitted lra; prosecution included in 21 properties properties named under corona children allegedly owned corona. miriam defensor santiago accused lra administrator diaz of violating civil code of philippines, , said both diaz , prosecution may guilty of gross negligence . jinggoy estrada asked diaz if willingly aiding prosecution or made mistake; diaz replied won t accept m in cahoots prosecution. can t readily accept made mistake. when ferdinand marcos, jr. asked diaz on why made list, said following prosecution s orders. loren legarda told diaz earlier said senator santiago had no knowledge used in impeachment trial; diaz answered knew list used.

march 22

the defense presents miriam monsuela of john hay management corporation (jhmc). prosecution objects witness, saying testimony, cristina corona s earnings while employed jhmc, immaterial; court allowed testify. lito atienza, former mayor of manila, defense s next witness. former mayor recalled transaction involving piece of property between city government , basa-guidote enterprises, inc. (bgei), defense says mrs. corona authorized act in lieu of bgei. atienza testified sale, cost city 34,703,800 pesos, legal. upon questioning franklin drilon, senator said there lack of due diligence on part of city government on purchase.