BIR to probe Corona's income taxes

 MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Internal Revenue will investigate  if former Chief Justice Renato Corona has paid the correct taxes following his admission that he owns underclared dollar and peso deposits.

In an ANC interview, Kim Jacinto Henares, BIR commissioner, said the BIR is obliged to ensure that the government is getting the correct taxes from its citizens.

"We are constrained by a legal obligation to make sure that proper taxes are paid [and] it doesn't matter  if you're a government official or not, whether you're rich or poor," Henares said

Voting 20-3  the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, convicted Corona of an impeachable offense. As the top official of the judiciary, Corona had enjoyed immunity, but the Senate decision removed him from office as well as his immunity from suit.

Corona had testified that he has  undeclared $2.4 million and P80. 7 million in various bank accounts.

Besides the BIR, the Office of the Ombudsman will also investigate Corona and his undeclared assets.

However, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, one of the 20 senators who voted to convict Corona, said the Aquino administration should no longer pursue any criminal cases against the former Chief Justice.

“I talked to Senator [Franklin] Drilon andasked him to convey my message to President Aquino. Tutal natanggal na ng impeachment court. Napagadaanan na namin iyan, it’s difficult for himself (Corona) and his family,” Jinggoy said, referring to the ouster of his father, former President Joseph Estrada , in   2001 following the popular revolt that was triggered by a walk out of prosecutors  in the impeachment trial. Drilon is a member of Aquino’s Liberal Party.

Following  Estrada’s ouster, the former President and  Jinggoy were charged with plunder, a non-bailable case and spent time under hospital arrest.

Corona, a diabetic, still remains confined at The Medical City in Pasig after suffering low blood sugar in the first day of his testimony at the impeachment court. - Cheryl M. Arcibal