Defense lines up more witnesses

MANILA, Philippines - As the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona enters its ninth week today, he and his lawyers have lined up as witnesses top executives of a real property developer, a clerk of court and a sheriff in a bid to establish that Corona truthfully and accurately filed his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) from 2001 to 2010.

Corona and his lawyers also wanted the impeachment court to summon Ayala Land officials Noel Kintanar, assistant vice president, and Benz Lim, property manager of The Columns, to prove that there were no attempts to delay or even hide condominium units of the Chief Justice and those of his wife, Cristina.

The prosecution had argued that there was late reporting about Corona’s properties, including the condominium unit 1902 (with parking) at the Spanish Bay Tower of Bonifacio Ridge in Taguig City and Unit 31B, with parking, at The Columns in Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

Lim will be asked to testify on the veracity of the complaints, letters and correspondences with Mrs. Corona borne out of alleged defects in The Columns unit.

“Such should not even be rebutted considering that it is totally beyond the scope of Article II of the complaint which deals only with the issue of non-filing and non-disclosure of CJ Corona’s SALN,” the defense said.

Kintanar and Lim are being lined up for the witness stand of the defense in order to rebut the prosecution’s argument, and to show that any alleged “delay” in reporting the properties in his 2010 SALN was justified.

The defense said they aim to negate the claims of prosecutors that Corona had failed to “timely” disclose some properties in his SALN.

The witnesses will also “disprove any alleged inaccuracy and falsity of the entries in his SALNs,” the defense lawyers said.

 Basa-Guidote

In a bid to debunk the prosecution’s claims that Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. (BGEI) could not have been one of the legitimate sources of Corona’s funds to be able to acquire some of his properties, the defense panel will present Lucita Masangkay-Cristi as among its witnesses.

The defense said Cristi, clerk of court of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 216, would testify on the documents pertaining to the criminal cases pending before the court. 

The move was aimed at proving that the majority shares of stock of BGEI led by Jose Maria Basa III and Raymunda Basa were garnished pursuant to the judgment in two criminal cases for libel filed by Mrs. Corona.

“CJ Corona respectfully submits that the testimony of Atty. Lucita D. Masangkay-Cristi, together with the… requested documents, will prove that the majority of the shares of stock of BGEI are no longer in the name of Jose Maria Basa III and Raymunda Basa but are as of now in the name of Carla C. Castillo, the highest bidder during the sale through public auction of said shares of stock,” the defense said in the request for subpoena submitted to the impeachment court.

They will also seek to destroy the prosecution’s claim that the BGEI had long ceased to exist as a juridical person and that its board of directors, supposedly members of the Basa clan, never authorized any loan in favor of Corona or his wife, Cristina.

Corona and his camp also want Joseph Bisnar, sheriff IV of the QC RTC Branch 216, to testify in a bid to prove that a majority of the shares of stock are no longer in the name of Jose Maria Basa III and Raymunda Basa.

The BGEI was cited as the source of Corona’s P11-million loan, which was reflected in his SALN in 2004.

 Additional testimonies

After successfully presenting secretaries of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal and Senate Electoral Tribunal, and the Supreme Court’s finance officer last week, the defense will also call on the witness stand Josephine Tecan and Miriam Mosuela to prove further that Corona had legitimate sources of income.

Tecan and Mosuela are the accountant and finance manager, respectively, of John Hay Management Corp. (JHMC), who could supposedly prove the compensations, salaries, allowances and other emoluments received by Mrs. Corona from 2007 to 2010.