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Chief Justice Renato Corona’s daughter, who earned less than P9000 in 2009, does not have the resources to purchase a piece of property valued in the tens of millions, the chief of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said on Thursday before the impeachment court.
BIR Commissioner Kim Henares testified that Carla Corona-Castillo declared a taxable income of P8,476 in 2009 when she bought the property in La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City worth P18 million. The purchase was dated October 2010, 10 months after she declared her income tax returns with the BIR.
“Corona’s daughter has barely minimal income and therefore not capable of buying the property,” said Henares.
Tax evasion charges mulled
According to the deed of sale presented to the Senate, Carla bought the property from her parents, the Chief Justice and wife, Cristina.
“We are in the process of reviewing whether we will file tax evasion case against Corona's daughter,” Henares said.
Meanwhile, senator-judges expressed their concern over documents said to be evidence being paraded before the media.
“There’s a big difference between deceiving the public and making it appear that these certain documents have been formally offered, when in fact they have only been marked,” Senator Pia Cayetano said.
Certain docs not admitted evidence yet
Senate President, Juan Ponce Enrile, presiding officer of the impeachment court, added, “We must not unnecessarily create an impression in the minds of the public that this is already an admitted evidence. Not yet.”
Enrile cautioned the spokespersons of both the prosecution and defense panels not to discuss evidence and the merits of the case in accordance to the Senate impeachment rules.
Both panels, however, denied violating the secrecy rule.
“We have not released evidence not yet offered to the court. We have complied with the rules of court since we were reprimanded for disclosing the Bellagio document,” Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas, chief public prosecutor, said.
Trial ‘faster outside the courtroom’
Likewise, Ret. Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas, lead defense counsel, said, “We have never discussed contents of documents. We're sure all these shouldn't have happened if we avoid discussing merits.”
“The trial outside the courtroom seems to be proceeding faster than the trial here,” Senator Gregorio Honasan II said.
The court ruled that the spokesperson of the Senate will coordinate with the spokespersons of both panels to moderate their statements before the public.
Some parts of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s testimonies are merely hearsay, the impeachment court ruled Thursday.
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