Corona confident of acquittal

MANILA, Philippines - See you next year.

This was Chief Justice Renato Corona’s message to his critics as he expressed confidence yesterday that he would be acquitted in the Senate impeachment trial.

Corona takes the witness stand next Tuesday.

The chief magistrate believes he will be able to hurdle his ordeal and, in the end, be cleared by the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.

But Corona said he also would have to brace for another impeachment, as revealed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales during the hearing earlier this week.

Corona attended a special Mass at the Supreme Court for his second anniversary as Chief Justice.

His lawyers were as optimistic as their client.

“After CJ’s testimony on Tuesday, he will come out clean. We hope that the truth would be enough to set him free,” lawyer Dennis Manalo told reporters in a separate interview during the event at the SC Centennial Building in Manila.

Defense counsel Jose Roy III said that they would not coach Corona in preparing for his testimony.

“We want him to prepare in isolation,” Roy explained.

The lawyers did not give any hint as to how Corona would address the allegations against him, particularly the charges of Morales that the Chief Justice had 82 dollar accounts in several banks with a “transactional balance” amounting to $10 million, spread out over five banks as of last year based on records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

Corona vowed to continue his fight for the sake of the farmers of Hacienda Luisita.

“I already put my entire life on the line for all of you. I put everything on the line for you,” he told farmers who trooped to the SC to support him.

Corona has insisted that his impeachment was a result of the SC ruling for the total distribution of the sugarland estate owned by President Aquino’s family in Tarlac, with a lower value set for just compensation.

Original farmer-beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita cheered the Chief Justice.

Noel Mallari, one of the leaders of the 6,296 original farmers, said they went to the SC to personally thank Corona for fighting for their rights.

“We are grateful but we are also scared because the DAR (Department of Agrarian Reform) has not given a specific date yet for the distribution of titles. This is why we are supporting the Chief Justice in his fight,” he said.

Corona’s family members also vowed to stand by him.

“This storm will end soon and the truth shall prevail. You shall be vindicated, dad,” said Corona’s son Francis.

Corona’s wife Cristina said she wished and prayed for the acquittal of her husband during the Mass.

She also hopes that there would be “peace and unity for the country” after the impeachment trial.

Various associations of judges and court employees and civil society groups, including Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees, also attended the Mass.

The Chief Justice also denied reports that his wife Cristina is set to fly to Spain this Saturday, a few days before he testifies at the impeachment court on Tuesday.

In a text message to The STAR, Corona dismissed the report as “pure intrigue.”

Text messages circulated saying Mrs. Corona was booked on a Qatar Airways flight to Barcelona at 6:20 p.m. on May 19.

The Philippines does not have an extradition treaty with Spain.

Corona’s lawyers also disputed claims that the “game is over” for their client, saying the Chief Justice should be allowed to speak first before making such claim.

“Kung matatalo kami, matalo na kaming lumalaban (If we lose, we will lose fighting),” said lead defense counsel retired associate justice Serafin Cuevas.

Cuevas admitted that the accusation that Corona owns 82 dollar accounts could be the biggest issue that they need to counter.

“The claim about deposits could be the biggest aspect because with regard to the properties, I think the impeachment court is already convinced that (the Chief Justice) only owns five instead of 45,” he said.

The prosecution initially accused Corona of owning 45 properties but took it back and claimed instead that the magistrate has 21. They claimed that majority of the 21 properties were not reflected in his statements of assets liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Corona, however, admitted to owning only five properties.

These are the Bellagio Tower penthouse in Global City, Taguig, another condo unit at Bonifacio Ridge, also in Taguig, a third condo at The Columns on Ayala Avenue, Makati, a fourth condo in Quezon City, and his house in Xavierville, Quezon City.

Cuevas said the accusation that Corona owns numerous bank accounts was the turning point that convinced Corona to take the witness stand.

Congressmen expect conviction

Lawmakers who signed the Articles of Impeachment against Corona said yesterday the testimony of Ombudsman Morales was the “tipping point” that would ensure his conviction for betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Members of the Movement 188 – the 188 congressmen who signed the impeachment complaint – was referring to Morales’ testimony that Corona has undeclared 82 foreign currency deposits that is believed to hold some $12 million.

“We believe it (Morales’ testimony) was the tipping point of the impeachment trial,” said Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, one of the convenors of the group.

He said no amount of legal maneuvers would be enough to contradict the testimony of the Ombudsman.

“We don’t know how the Chief Justice can successfully debunk the Ombudsman’s testimony,” he said.

“No amount of smoke and screen tricks can mislead the public and the senator-judges on the real issue,” he said.

Opposition Rep. Milagros Magsaysay of Zambales, however, said it was the other way around.

“It could be the tipping point for the Chief Justice’s acquittal,” Magsaysay said.

She said the testimony of Harvey Keh, one of the complainants who filed charges against Corona at the Ombudsman, would clear Corona.

Magsaysay said Keh admitted furnishing questionable documents from an anonymous source to Morales and “demolished whatever testimony she (Ombudsman) made.

“Also what she (Morales) said was not part of the impeachment complaint, so how can that be a tipping point. The people don’t believe the allegations against the Chief Justice anymore,” Magsaysay said.

She recalled that the prosecution panel accused Corona of having 45 properties, which later turned out to be untrue. Corona was found to have only six properties. With Paolo Romero, Alexis Romero