Skip to content

Corona to prosecution: You did not have any iota of evidence against me when you filed the impeachment complaint.

Press statement of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona:

'Of comfortable means'
Throughout my public career, I have never been involved in any anomaly or scandal. Whatever assets my wife and I have acquired are products of 45 years of toil and honest work.

My wife and I have been privileged to come from families of comfortable means. We grew up never lacking in anything and even enjoyed some luxuries. We earned our academic degrees in some of the best exclusive schools in the country. I went on to earn several postgraduate degrees, including a Master’s degree in Harvard Law School. Our parents provided well for our future. Family resources continue to be available to us anytime.

I had a very successful career in the private sector where I was a top executive before I joined the government. That is public record.

For the past 40 years, my wife and I lived in a house, which was inherited property, and for that reason never had to pay rent or amortization on our residence. This translated to significant savings over forty years.

We have lived simple and frugal lives since we got married more than 40 years ago, to the point of thriftiness. This contributed to how we have been able to accumulate these assets. Other than our house, which we have lived in for almost 40 years, we have never had any other house.

I do not spend on vices like smoking, drinking or gambling, and have been completely devoted to my family. My family has always been my priority.

It pains me to see my family suffer the reckless abandon of a few who want to paint a different Renato C. Corona. I will not allow a career carefully nurtured and a family lovingly cared for in my lifetime to be tarnished by people in the business of lies and falsehoods.

But I am determined, with my Defense Team, to explain everything satisfactorily when our turn comes to present our evidence. If you look closely at the documents already marked, the explanations are all there.

In the meantime, I would like to request the public not to make any hasty conclusions. This “expose” that the prosecution is trying to herald as another “bombshell” will, in due time, be exposed as another dud like the 45 properties they claimed I owned.

To the Prosecution Team, I do know my law. I have not broken any law. I have no liability to the people and to the government.

What my wife and I have is the fruit of hard and honest work for which all taxes have been fully paid. Since the Prosecution alleged wrongdoing, the obligation to prove it is theirs and theirs alone. Do not extract it from me through means that are foul, coercive and illegal because this can only mean one thing: YOU DID NOT HAVE ANY IOTA OF EVIDENCE AGAINST ME WHEN YOU FILED THE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT.

As to the effort of the Prosecution to enlist the assistance of certain patently partisan and inquisitorial Senator-Judges to help obtain the evidence you are digging up only now, not to mention the ruthless, unchristian and unrelenting public persecution through trial by publicity against my family and I, I hope the public will see through your schemes. My entire family is now, among others, being harassed by the BIR. I hope this persecution will never happen to any other official, officer, captain of industry or Juan dela Cruz. I would not wish it on my worst enemy, should I have one.

Finally, the President has clearly committed an impeachable offense when he came out swinging by openly urging the Senator-Judges to disobey the Constitution he has personally sworn to uphold.

Itong impeachment trial na ito ay isang huwad, isang paghihiganti ng sukdulan at kahiya-hiyang tangka na pigilin ang pagbabahagi ng lupain sa Hacienda Luisita.

Published inCorona ImpeachmentJusticeSupreme Court

24 Comments

  1. bayonic bayonic

    ” I do know my law. I have not broken any law. ”
    I know my law well enough to run loops and rings around it and to bend it to a point just before it breaks.

  2. chi chi

    Corona to prosecution: You did not have any iota of evidence against me when you filed the impeachment complaint.

    Ngayon meron na. It makes no difference to me, evidence is an evidence regardless of the period of acquisition.

  3. I would like to be enlightened regarding discovery proceedings wherein the court allows fishing expeditions.

  4. Oblak Oblak

    Chief, ikaw ang walang iota of delicadeza at kahihiyan nang nakipagkutsaba ka kay GMA para maging Chief Justice ka. Ikaw ang walang iota of katinuan nung makipagsabwatan kayo para maka alis si GMA ng Pilipinas.

    You know your law? May sarili ka kasing batas, may sariling kayong batas ni GMA. Puro ka press release, yung mga abogado mo naman puro harang at bluff ang ginagawa sa trial.

  5. hawaiianguy hawaiianguy

    No iota of evidence against me?

    Wow, and what about the huge and mountainous discrepancy between Corona’s SALN and his bank deposits?

    What a monumental lie!

  6. baycas2 baycas2

    baycas says:
    February 9, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    On Article 2:

    The charge/s are “culpable violation of the Constitution” and/or “betrayal of public trust” and they have to be proven by pieces of evidence. The “AND/OR” phrase is a dead giveaway that the House members were not sure of what to allege.

    The word “suspected” will never point to an ultimate fact of an alleged wrongdoing that’s why Par. 2.4 is not being considered by the Impeachment Court. Besides, no categorical statement of “graft and corruption” was given…and even when the phrase was mentioned, it should be a separate Article (ground for impeachment) to be created…i.e., if they can prove there was graft and corruption without the help of the SALN.

    Nevertheless, the Court provided flexibility esp. on the issue of the bank accounts.

    It was again liberal for the Court to recognize Par. 2.3…regardless of the word “reported” which may mean “sabi-sabi lang” and can never be proven by hard evidence prior to the trial…regardless if it would mean “fishing” for evidence once the SALN will be publicly disclosed.

    Par. 2.2 is just the meat of Article 2 while Par. 2.1 states the Constitutional provision that was allegedly violated by the respondent Corona.

    Now, what has been proven by the prosecution so far?

    2.2 was impliedly proven because Corona’s SALN was only publicly disclosed during the trial. (I was suggesting before to call Vitug or PCIJ people to testify that they weren’t provided SALN copies upon their repeated requests in the past. This will aid Leon Guerrero to know that the SALN was not originally* disclosed to the public.)

    2.3 was already proven at this point owing to the missing properties supposed to be accurately itemized in a timely manner in the submitted SALNs. (This seems to be the case but Corona still has his turn to present his side.)

    As to the 2.4 (including the bank accounts), it’s all propaganda.

    —–
    *word added just now

    fishing expedition per se are disallowed by courts. besides, it may trample upon the right of an accused against self-incrimination.

    it’s hard to determine when “fishing” may be allowed especially on privileged information and, alas, the supreme court will again decide on that.

    however, AFAIK, SALNs are not supposed to be privileged information!

    —–

    http://raissarobles.com/2012/02/12/ninez-seems-to-know-better-than-me-where-my-body-was/#comment-16359

  7. bobong bobong

    Mahiya ka naman Corona.

    Ang yabang yabang mo na sabihin noon na wala kang itinatagong yaman. Ngayong napatunayan ng Prosecution Panel na tutoong may peso band deposits ka at dollad bank deposits, agad mong inutusan ang PS Bank President na humingi ng TRO sa iyong court.

    Magpaka tutoo ka, Patunayan mong mali ang Prosecution Team nang sabihin nilang may itinatago kang Dollar Bank Deposit. Sabi mo naman noon na wala talaga.

  8. dan1067 dan1067

    “Throughout my public career, I have never been involved in any anomaly or scandal. Whatever assets my wife and I have acquired are products of 45 years of toil and honest work.” Paano ka mai involved sa anomaly or scandal e nakaupo ang former boss mong si Gloria at ginawa kang chief justice sa kalagitnaan ng hatinggabi kaya sa isang kumpas mo lang ang lahat ay susunod. Ngayon ipaliwanag mo lahat bakit sangkatutak ang mga pag-aari mong condo, Dollar at peso deposits, namana mo rin ba yan? Bakit hindi mo nilagay sa SALN mo yan e ikaw ang dapat na maging huwaran sa pagdeklara nyan bilang punong mahistrado. Mag resign ka na nakakahiya ka.

  9. MPRivera MPRivera

    Throughout my public career, I have never been involved in any anomaly or scandal because nobody cares to run after me. But since/when I became identified with the greatest president the Philippines ever had, although noone voted for her, here I am, ridiculed, charged and nobody wants to believe me. Pu#t%a &n&g ina mo, Gloria!

  10. MPRivera MPRivera

    alam mo, ka atong? kaming mga kababayan mo ay nalulungkot sapagkat hindi dapat mangyari ang ganito sa iyo. naniniwala kaming malinis ang iyong pangalan, walang bahid dungis ang rekord ng iyong paglilingkod at idinadawit ka lamang sa galit ng mga nasa poder sa iyong dating pinaglilingkuran – ang pinakamamahal naming presidente, si gloria arroyo. ikaw ay aming hinihintay dine sa tanauan at sa iyong pag-uwi ay sasalubungin ka namin at ipagpupugay. matalo o manalo ka sa kasong ito, kakampi mo kami. kaya umuwi ka na dine sa atin at ikaw ay aming kakalingain.

    gago! lukuluko! karaho ka!

    sinong tatarantaduhin mo?

    hindi kayo nagkakalayo nina perez, ermita, mendoza at recto! ipinagkanulo ninyo ang aming paniniwalang mararangal kayong mga tao at karapatdapat na tingalain bilang mga kagalanggalang na kababayan namin.

    mga tinamaan kayo ng kulog, nakakahiya kayo!

  11. beach_boi beach_boi

    eto ang matinding tsismis sa internet:

    BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC, ESTE, MARITAL TRUST


    Chief Justice Renato Corona wants to project the image that he is a loving husband to his wife, Cristina. The fact is, the Chief Justice has not only betrayed the public trust but most importantly, has betrayed his marital vow. 

    If the Chief Justice is man enough, He should admit the fact that he has a long-standing romantic relationship with a gentle lady named EVA with whom the Chief Justice has two (2) illegitimate sons. EVA also hails from Batangas and had her education from Assumption College just like his wife Cristina who also graduated earlier from the same school.

    For Chief Justice Renato C. Corona not to mention his children with EVA as if they do not exist at all, is the highest form of ignominy and immorality that he can commit not only against his legitimate wife and family but against his oath as the highest magistrate of the land.
    An inquiry into his relationship with EVA and his illegitimate children in connection with the on-going impeachment trial becomes extremely necessary in the light of the properties given by the Chief Justice to them. EVA, who has previously undergone a heart bypass operation, is known not to have worked from the time she had this romantic liaison with the Chief Justice nor does she have any known business of her own and yet, EVA is luxuriously living in the United States, together with her two (2) illegitimate children with the good Chief Justice.


    Source:

    http://www.propinoy.net/2012/02/06/mr-corona-prove-that-you-have-nothing

  12. chi chi

    Whoa, too much information/chismis! 🙂 Kung totoo ito, dapat pala inisip na ni Corona sa simula pa na mag-resign na lang sya kesa sa makalkal ang personal life at maibalandra sa internet. Fight to death daw sabi nya, might be that he has prepared himself and family/ies for this.

    Can’t be included as Corona’s crime unless the conjugal properties of the thief justice and mistress in the US are ‘authenticated’ and presented as not filed by Corona in his SALN.

  13. chi chi

    Mags, magtanong-tanong ka nga sa inyo tungkol sa entry #11 para ma-‘authenticate’ natin, hehe!

  14. jawo jawo

    Parang “resume” ang dating ng first 6 paragraphs mo, ah, Mang Atong !! Yada—yada—yada—-whatever !! Tapos may pa-iyak-iyak ka pa !!

    Contrary to what you aver, the fact that you are being charged (or impeached) is because there is more than an iota of evidence against you. Otherwise, why go the process of impeachment to begin with ? Relax ka lang, pare ko. Various technicalities with the help of the MAFIA you belong to keeps you alive for now. Remember, you are innocent until proven guilty. Or haven’t you heard that line before ? That much you can enjoy for now. But don’t count on it too much.

  15. chi chi

    jawo, kung ma-convict sya, by virtue of his first 6 paragraphs e hindi sya tatanggihan ni Karen Jimeno na gawing legal assistant. 🙂

  16. tin_tin tin_tin

    Pag masyadong OA ibig sabihin hindi totoo.

  17. MPRivera MPRivera

    #13. chi, never heard ‘yang si atong corona sa bayan namin. ngayon lang ‘yan pumutok dahil sa atatsment niya kay goyang na puno’t dulo ng kanya ngayong pilit na iniiwasan.

  18. MPRivera MPRivera

    “……. I do know my law. I have not broken any law. I have no liability to the people and to the government….”

    alam namin ‘yan, eh. matagal na. kung hindi ba naman ay magiging aso ka ni gloria? kung batikan ka na, mas NATUTO ka pa noong mapadikit ka sa kanya, kayong mag-asawa.

    at dahil nga sa alam na alam mo ang iyong batas kaya pilit at pilit mong iniiwasan ang pagharap sa katotohanan. sukdulang ipagkanulo at ipagbili ang sarili mong kaluluwa sa reyna ng impiyerno.

    meron ka pang padipa dipa sa harap ng mga hinakot ninyong tagasuporta kuno. pakitang taong pagbibigay pugay sa nasa itaas. de paiyak iyak ka pa at ang asawa mo ay kuntodo pakitang pinapahid ang luha ng buwaya.

    bilib na kami sa iyo – SA KAPAL NG MUKHA MO!

  19. MPRivera MPRivera

    hindi naman pala itinatanggi ni ka atong ang tungkol sa kanyang dalawang anak dito sa kanyang segundina, eh.

    ang malaking KATANUNGAN la’ang – PAANONG NAKAKAPAMUHAY NANG MASAGANA ang mag-iina sa yu-es-hey kung walang maliwanag na pinagkakakitaan o negosyo itong si eva?

    hindi kaya madyikera ng pera? na sa bawat kumpas ng kamay kapag dumukot sa kanyang bag ay balumbon ng $$$$ ang inilalabas?

  20. chi chi

    Mags. may secret $$$ accounts na, may secret lovers pa. Ang siswirti nina big pig at ka atong. 🙂

  21. MPRivera MPRivera

    chi, hindi na sikret ‘yung mga accounts niya dahil kumbaga’y hindi pa man nahuhubaran ay nasilipan na at ang problema nga la’ang kay atong corona ay patay tanggi pa.

    maabsuwelto man siya sa impitsment na ito, sa akala ba niya ay meron pang maniniwala at magtitiwala sa kanya at sa mga desisyon niya lalo’t may kinalaman sa mag-asawang jose pidal at gloria.

    haaay, naku! may he rest in peace, este manahimik na la’ang siya.

  22. humus humus

    in support of the opinions of majority commentators
    here in Ellenville, please read.

    We, the millions BOSSES of P Noy may not be Disheartened since this may come to pass.

    The best case scenario which the true (uncorrupted) Filipinos all over the world are waiting for which can only happened in the Philippines is the resounding acquittal of CJ Corona by the Impeachment Court FOLLOWED days later which can only happen in South Korea, Singapore, Britain, USA, and Canada is the mass arrest of tax evaders from the members of the Impeachment Court, the Supreme Court and members of the defense and prosecution teams. The people who know will rejoice to see Corona, Enrile, Santiago, Escudero, Cuevas, Fr. Bernas and many more etcetera, lead by Police in handcuffs to the army trucks that will collect the tax evaders to take them to Muntinlupa. Let the people watch with their tomatoes, eggs and shoes as these rascals and scalawags marched with police escorts to attend their court trials and be given justice by the genuine rule of law.

    With great possibility and people’s eager anticipation this scenario will shock and awe the people of South Korea, Singapore, Britain, USA, and Canada on how the Phil President using the true rule of law led a revolution that halted the tide of corruption and smash to pieces the rock culture of impunity.

    Filipinos all over the world will be looked up with respect and reverence more than the first EDSA, more than the FBI efforts on the MAFIA, more than Guilliani’s bringing peace and order to the streets and homes in New York City.

    Let the intellectual goons and hoodlums ask for it. The people will eventually sock it to them.

Leave a Reply