Defense lawyer says SALN issue has gone beyond CJ

MANILA, Philippines - Saying the impeachment trial has evolved beyond Chief Justice Renato Corona, a defense lawyer yesterday asserted the need for every government official to be accountable in filling up the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

“The trial has therefore evolved beyond the Chief Justice as the conscience of everyone mindful of the public’s trust must be truthful of his true net worth. This is a challenge for the President to the lowly janitor or clerk in the government,” defense lawyer Ramon Esguerra said.

He noted the recent questions arising from what value should be used as standard in measuring a government official’s real property assets showed relevance to public accountability in the country.

“One very significant consequence that is good for the nation brought to fore by the impeachment trial of the Chief Justice is the relevance of the SALN in exacting public accountability of all the SALN in the bureaucracy,” Esguerra said.

Esguerra, former undersecretary of the justice department, said the matter has been brought to the consciousness of every government official.

“Most if not in all in public services, elected or otherwise, will have to deal with this reality now. The public now has a good basis to see if a public official is enriching himself while in public,” he said.

Esguerra also pushed for the review of current laws covering the SALN and public accountability.

“Likewise significant is the review now going on of the law itself and how it should be implemented,” Esguerra said.

In a taped radio interview yesterday, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, presiding officer of the impeachment court, said the SALN issue lies not with Cabinet members or other government officials but with the Chief Justice.

Enrile said Corona should also explain in detail the entries in his SALN from 2001 to 2010, which were subject of Article 2 of the impeachment complaint.

Contrary to claims of the defense, Enrile said SALNs should reflect acquisition costs of properties because this reflects true values when the properties were bought.

This way, there would proper assessment of one’s net worth, Enrile said.

Corona’s SALN reflected no values for accusation costs, but the assessed and fair market values, which were based in the tax payments of the respondent. 

Corona had listed five properties in his SALN for 2010, and his defense lawyers vowed to disprove allegations that Corona had undeclared 45 of his alleged properties, later on reduced to 22 properties (including three parking lots).

Come out and testify

Enrile also reiterated the need for Corona to testify in the trial since he is in the best position to explain his defense on issues hurled against him.

Enrile said Corona and his lawyers can no longer hide behind the cloak of confidentiality of bank deposits, including dollar accounts, since their existence were already confirmed by Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) during the first weeks of the trial.

“The bank accounts, you cannot deny that they exist. What is not clear is how much bank accounts, especially the peso and dollar accounts, came about. (The question is not) Whether or not there are bank accounts, there are indeed bank accounts under his name,” Enrile said.

“There are evidence pertaining to the peso account, what we don’t know is the dollar accounts. These are being questioned. (But) there are indeed foreign currency accounts with PSBank,” he added.