By Bibeth Orteza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
8:15 a. m.
The man of the house is still in his bedroom. Sally Moneda, his cook and personal assistant of 26 years, reminds his close-in aide, Julius Gumban, not to take away the newspaper as “he has not read Bernas [constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, who writes an opinion column in the Inquirer–Ed].”
Photos by Mario Ignacio, VERA Files
Nandiyan si retired Capt. Oscar Taleon, ang presidente at Chief Executive Officer ng Alyansa ng may Kapansanang Pinoy (AKAP-Pinoy), na nabulag noong panahon ng martial law (1977) nang napasabak siya sa rally sa underpass sa Quiapo kung saan may nagbuhos ng gasolina na lumiyab. Nasa Intelligence Service siya ng Armed Forces of the Philippines noon.
Sitting as the presiding judge in the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, Enrile’s competent handling of one of the biggest legal events in the country assures the public that whatever the decision of the senator-judges, whether Corona would be acquitted or convicted, Philippine democracy would be enriched.
Enrile was very much part of the two-decade Marcos regime in various capacities in the department of justice,finance, and defense.
The fact that retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan has not been arrested two months after the Malolos Regional Trial Court issued a warrant of arrest for him for the 2006 disappearance of UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno and farmer Manuel Merino should have made us realize that there are forces in the government who have remained unenlightened despite President Aquino’s much-vaunted reform agenda.
There’s also the disappointing lack of action by the Aquino administration on the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance which has been signed by 92 countries , 31 of which have ratified the Convention.
The Aquino government also never replied to the annual requests by the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances for official invitation to visit the country.
Kapag impeachment ni Chief Justice Renato Corona ang pinaguusapan, ang tanong ng karamihan ay, “Maku-convict ba si Corona?”
Inip na sa ending ang mga tao.
Sa aming baryo sa Guisijan sa Antique, marami ang sumusunod ng Corona impeachment trial.Sa mga nakita nilang lumabas na mga impormasyun sa trial, naniniwala silang guilty si Corona.Kaya kahit medyo palpak and prosecution, umu-ubra din ang kanilang stratehiya na lumilihis sa proseso.
Ngunit alam din ng taumbayan na malaki ang papel ng pulitika sa pinal na desisyun kaya medyo nag-alala sila.
Just when we were getting excited by another set of accounts by Chief Justice Renato Corona with the Philippine Savings Bank, Katipunan branch, totaling some P36 million which were withdrawn on Dec. 12, 2012, the day the House of Representatives approved the impeachment of the Chief Justice, bank manager Annabel Tiongson, dropped another information that brought us back to the fascinating tale of the “small lady” that has regaled us the past days.
Nineteen days of impeachment trial have revealed that Corona has not been truthful in the declaration of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth.
Corona stated in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for 2010 that he had only P3.5 million in cash and investments. Yet his five peso accounts at the Philippine Savings Bank showed he had P19,728,555.39 while his checking account at the Bank of the Philippines Island, Ayala branch contained P12,024,000.67 or a total of about P32 million as of Dec. 31, 2010.
That document, which PSB Katipunan branch manager Annabel Tiongson, said was fake became the basis of the subpoena issued by the impeachment court for the information on Corona’s bank accounts.
An ABS-CBN report quoted Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda as saying, “Ano ba ang fake? Fake ang account number e mayroong account number doon sa PSBank eh. Kung signature card, pirmado naman po ni Chief Justice Corona ‘yun. So I suppose they’re protecting their bank because there’s a violation of the Bank Secrecy Law so I would assume that the bank will do everything to protect itself from liability from the Bank Secrecy Law. But what has been proven is that it is not fake insofar as the account numbers, insofar as the figures are there.”
Press statement of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona:
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.
In a text message to Ellen Tordesillas, author of the report, Lee said, “The only points about your article I want to clarify is that I never uttered the words ‘altar’ or anything that might hint to desiring marriage.”
It was her co-anchor DJ Suzy, not Grace Lee, a Korean TV and radio personality President Benigno Aquino III is said to be dating, who said the relationship between the two was headed for the altar.
Lee made the clarification in reaction to a VERA Files story yesterday that said she saw herself tying the knot with the President.
I did this story for VERA Files: The altar. That’s where Grace Lee says her relationship with President Benigno Aquino III is headed. In her…