Corona willing to testify, open dollar deposits

MANILA, Philippines - Chief Justice Renato Corona today said that he is now prepared to open his dollar accounts at the Senate impeachment trial next week.

"I said I will open it in due time and the due time is next week. I have always said there is no problem with my dollar deposits because I can explain it," Corona said in an interview over radio dzBB.

The defense team is expected to start presenting its own evidence and witnesses when the impeachment trial resumes on March 12 to counter the presentaion of the House prosecution team.

Corona will open his dollar accounts with the Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) despite an existing temporary restraining order (TRO) on the Senate's subpoena on his foreign currency records.

Serafin Cuevas, the lead counsel of the Corona defense team, had said that there was no need to present the dollar accounts to disprove to  the impeachment court that the embattled chief justice is hiding ill-gotten wealth with the PSBank.

Corona and the bank asked the Supreme Court to intervene after the Senate impeachment court issued the subpoena on all the bank accounts of Corona, including his dollar accounts.

The prosecution had asked the Senate impeachment court to subpoena the dollar accounts of Corona as part of its presentation of evidence on Article 2 of the impeachment complaint against the chief magistrate.

The prosecution had earlier presented leaked documents, which alleged that Corona has "$700k" or $700,000 in PSBank. The defense had said that the money in Corona's dollar accounts were part of his savings.

Willing to testify

In an interview with GMA News, Corona said that he is open to testifying before the impeachment court.

“Open ako dyan pero depende iyon sa mga abogado ko. Kung ano ang sasabihin ng mga lawyers ko, eh 'yun ang aking gagawin,” Corona said.

Cuevas had opposed suggestions to put Corona on the witness stand.

“I believe this is not good because the members of the impeachment court can examine him on all angles and Justice Cuevas cannot object,” Cuevas said in an ABS-CBN News interview.

Cuevas made the statement after Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, sitting as presiding judge of the impeachment court, said that it would be best if Corona would take the witness stand and explain his assets that have been questioned by the prosecution team.

Corona said he is prepared to explain to the senator-judges and the public as well, his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth and his bank accounts.

“I will give an adequate explanation of each centavo that came in and went out,” he said during the GMA News interview.

He also admitted during the interview that he withdrew a huge amount of money from the PSBank on the same day that he was impeached by the House of Representatives.

He explained that he withdrew his money because he lost trust in the bank  as he believes that his bank records were scrutinized without his authorization before his impeachment.