Ombudsman: Ex-CJ Corona has P130M unexplained wealth

MANILA, Philippines -The Office of the Ombudsman has charged ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona and his wife, Cristina, for amassing ill-gotten wealth,  a violation of  the ethical codes and committing perjury.

In a 22-page resolution approved on January 28, 2014, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said that a panel of investigators discovered that the Coronas earned a total income of over P30 million from 2001 to 2011.

The Ombudsman said Corona has amassed an unexplained wealth worth at least P130 million.

Corona earned more than P27 million of the income while working in top government posts at the Office of the President, Supreme Court, Senate Electoral Tribunal and House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.

Cristina, meanwhile, earned over P3 million from 2007 to 2010 as seen from the Bureau of Internal Revenue records submitted by the John Hay Development Corp. where she was an employee.

The Ombudsman-issued resolution also indicated that between 2002 and 2010, Corona's actual cash deposits ballooned from just over P1.3 million to P137.9 million, reflecting discrepancies in the magistrate's Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.