CORONA SCORED BIG, DESPITE HIS MISTAKE!

Whether his accusers and detractors admit it or not, Chief Justice Renato Corona SCORED BIG POINTS in his testimony today before the Senate Impeachment Court.

This despite his mistake of not revealing he was already feeling sick and of not waiting for court approval to excuse himself before he stood up and left the session hall.

Foremost among Corona’s gains was his surprise SIGNING OF A WAIVER for the scrutiny of ALL of his peso and dollar accounts.

The waiver also authorizes the Land Registration Authority, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to reveal information on his assets, liabilities, net worth, business interest and financial connections

Related to this, Corona SINGLE-HANDEDLY TURNED THE HEAT on staunch critic Sen. Franklin Drilon and the 188 congressmen who voted to impeach him by daring them to sign blank copies of the SAME WAIVER. .

By signing a waiver, Corona emphasized to one and all that he had no dirty money to hide.

If Drilon and the congressmen won’t execute their own waivers, they will have to produce AIR-TIGHT PROOF that they don’t have ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH.

Before I wrote this blog, I read the latest posts on the news websites of the Inquirer, ABS-CBN and GMA-7. No one among Drilon and the 188 congressmen have officially declared they will execute their own waivers.

SINO NGAYON ANG MAY TINATAGONG NAKAW NA YAMAN?

And as he had promised, Corona DEMOLISHED claims by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales that he had $10 to $12 million in 82 bank accounts, USING THE SAME AMLC DATA she had claimed as proof.

Corona said most of the accounts cited by Morales had been either closed or placed in settlements, and that he only had four dollar accounts – one in Bank of the Philippine Island (BP1) in San Francisco del Monte in Quezon City, one in Allied Bank and two in Philippine Savings Bank – as of  December 2011.

Remember, guys, Morales had admitted that she wouldn’t know if the 82 accounts were still active or existing. But she REVEALED IT just the same.

And even if Corona did not disclose the total balance of his dollar savings, he gave his accusers a CHANCE TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES by signing his waiver.

To those who will say that it’s only Corona who’s on trial and not Drilon and the 188 congressmen:

The issue is not the trial but PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY.  Like Corona, Drilon and the 188 congressmen ARE NOT EXEMPTED FROM THIS. 

Public accountability IS NOT, AND SHOULD NEVER BE, SELECTIVE!

The impeachment trial WOUD NOT BE DELAYED if Drilon and the congressmen will sign their own waivers and submit these together with Corona’s to the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Corona is NOT ASKING FOR THE INCLUSION of Drilon’s and the congressmen’s waivers in the impeachment proceedings. 

So unless Drilon and the 188 congressmen are HIDING STOLEN OR ILLEGALLY AMASSED WEALTH in their bank records and other financial records, THERE’’S NO REASON for them not to execute their own waivers.

I can’t wait for what Drilon, Morales and the congressman have to say. 30