D-Day for CJ Corona

Today is D-Day for Chief Justice Renato Corona as he takes the stand to testify on his own behalf. Defense lawyers are confident he will be able to clarify the issue on his dollar deposits which they say are only 3 and not 82.

A retired BIR CPA-lawyer has issued an opinion that dollar deposits need not be declared in SALNs because they are confidential under the Foreign Currency Deposits Act. Fr. Joaquin Bernas also raises the same question.

Atty. Ramon Esguerra said that CJ Corona’s direct examination will take at least 2 hours. Another 3 hours for cross examination.

Some Senator Judges and Malacañang are demanding that the Chief Justice issues a written waiver on the release of his dollar accounts, allegedly existing in 5 banks.

Defense lawyers said a waiver is not necessary since the Chief Justice has promised to tell all in his testimony.

The whole nation will be watching today until Thursday. It will be a tough hurdle for the Chief Justice. Prosecution lawyers Neri Colmenares and Rep. Miro Quimbo had narrowed down the issue to whether CJ Corona had declared all his properties and deposits in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN).

Defense says no need to do so. The Foreign Currency Deposit Act prohibits any disclosure and therefore dollar deposits need not be declared in their SALN.

But the bigger battle is really for public opinion and that has been the principal target of Malacañang from the beginning.

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STEP FORWARD . . After years of neglect, the government has finally decided to install night vision equipment to allow night take offs and landings in 14 provincial airports, DOTC Sec. Mar Roxas announced.

The airports to be equipped are Tagbilaran, Legaspi, Dumaguete, Butuan, Ozamiz, Cotabato, Naga, Dipolog, Roxas, Pagadian, Tuguegarao, Busuanga, Surigao and San Jose, Occ. Mindoro.

More night flights will decongest the traffic at NAIA during the 5 a.m.-5 p.m. period.

Coming from Cagayan de Oro last Friday, our PAL flight was delayed one hour and a half.

Sec. Roxas also signed a memorandum of agreement with 5 domestic airlines to integrate the airport terminal fee in the ticket price. The scanners should be doubled to have 4 lines instead of 2 and reduce the lineup time to enter the airport especially NAIA Terminal 1. There is also a need to double the immigration desks.

It’s no fun arriving in the Philippines.

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ALLUMAD . . The Alyansa Lumad Mindanao with membership of 2.2 million have formed a coalition of 31 Lumad Tribe and Community Based Forest Management Communities (CBFM) and applied for partylist recognition. Lumad is a Malay term meaning native is the “first settlers” of the Philippines. Migrating from Indonesia and Australia, the migrants established the Wawa kingdom in Butuan from where they spread to other islands.

Today there are 2.4 million hectares of ancestral lands in Mindanao.

The goal of ALLUMAD is to conserve and develop the natural resources on their ancestral domain lands in a sustainable and equitable manner and to leverage these resources to create capital to economically empower the Lumads. 

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POLITICAL UPDATE . . The word is out. President Aquino wants his Cabinet Members to stay and not run for office in 2013. It means that DOTC Sec. Mar Roxas, DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima, DBM Sec. Butch Abad and DSWD Sec. Dinky Soliman will not be running for senator in 2013.

Cagayan Rep. Jack Ponce Enrile said there is a possibility of a unified LP-UNA ticket. That goes against his father’s earlier announcement that UNA will no longer accept coalition from other major political parties.

Danton Remoto, chairman of Ladlad announced he is running for senator. Alma Moreno, president of the Philippine Councilor’s League (PCL) also announced her plans to run for senator.

Annabelle Rama, mother of Ruffa Gutierrez is running for Congress in Cebu City’s North District.

Cong. Pablo John Garcia is the one running to succeed Gov. Gwen Garcia in Cebu. His expected opponent is Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, sister of DOE Sec. Rene Almendras.

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TIDBITS . . . The Supreme Court on May 8 issued a writ of Kalikasan against Black Sand Mining in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Pangasinan.

VP Binay’s Anti Trafficking Task Force rescued 100 victims from a budget hotel in Zamboanga City, mostly minors from Basilan.

The Philippine Coast Guard is acquiring 10 new 40 meter patrol boats from Japan.

Quezon City reports 10,000 students will not be accommodated in its schools. They will be given home study courses. Quezon City has a budget of P12 billion. Why can’t it build enough classrooms?

The Lady Gaga concert yesterday and today at the New Arena at the Mall of Asia is sold out.

The NPAs burned P100 million worth of heavy equipment of the Sunwest Construction and Corporation (SCDC) who is constructing the Daraga, Albay International Airport last Friday night.

Condolences to Gov. Antonio Cerilles, Congw. Aurora Cerilles on the death of their father, former Gov. Vicente Madarang Cerilles. The remains will lie in state at Funeraria Paz, Araneta Ave., Quezon City. It will be brought to Pagadian on Saturday.

Greetings to our avid readers, Boy Scout leaders, Gov. Antonio Cerilles of Zamboanga del Sur, Vice-Mayor Danny Fariñas of Baguio, Artist Nemi Miranda of Rizal, Wilfredo Sinco of Surigao, Jun Aniag of Bulacan, Board Members Santiago Dickson of Nueva Viscaya and Dan Asiaten of Tarlac.

Also to Joy Santos of Balingoan, Misamis Oriental, Dr. Troy Uy of Cebu and Board Members Alex Binghay and Joey Halganza of Cebu, Mrs. Luciana Sta. Maria of San Pablo, Rommel Alarcon of Caramoan, Camarines Sur and Barangay Chairman Rey Melchor of Sampaloc. Happy birthday to Cong. Erico Aumentado of Bohol and DZRJ broadcaster Rey Hidalgo Santos.