AMITA O. LEGASPI, GMA News
The documents pertaining to the purported dollar accounts of embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales presented before the Senate impeachment court last Monday are authentic, a Malacañang official told reporters on Thursday.
The burden is on Chief Justice Renato Corona to disprove it, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing.
“… I would assume that they are regular because these are the regular duties imposed in the banks to report to the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council),” said Lacierda.
The documents from AMLC came from the financial institutions or banks where Corona maintained accounts, the Palace official noted.
“That’s why you’re able to determine, for instance, the account number, the transaction date, the name of the bank and the date of the transaction. These are all documents or data coming from the respective banks,” he said.
“The Ombudsman secured this information from the AMLC. So the source of her information is the Anti-Money Laundering Council. And the source of the documents from the Anti-Money Laundering Council came from the banks themselves,” Lacierda reiterated.
Banks are supposed to report to AMLC transactions above P500,000, he added. “That’s called a covered transaction. If you are a depositor which does not have a regular deposit of 500,000 and suddenly meron kang malaking amount, fina-flag ‘yan as what they call a suspicious transaction.”
The Chief Justice is set to testify before the impeachment court next Tuesday, May 22. Lacierda believes it is now the burden of Corona to disprove the allegations.
Also, Ombudsman Morales could not have been influenced or used by Malacañang against Corona, according to the presidential spokesperson. “Definitely, hindi po natin ginagamit… si Ombudsman Carpio-Morales para mang-harass.”
Lacierda cited the case of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, saying several cases against the former President were either dismissed or downgraded by the Ombudsman.
“So she has shown her independence and we commend her independence,” Lacierda added. —VS, GMA News
The documents pertaining to the purported dollar accounts of embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales presented before the Senate impeachment court last Monday are authentic, a Malacañang official told reporters on Thursday.
The burden is on Chief Justice Renato Corona to disprove it, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing.
“… I would assume that they are regular because these are the regular duties imposed in the banks to report to the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council),” said Lacierda.
The documents from AMLC came from the financial institutions or banks where Corona maintained accounts, the Palace official noted.
“That’s why you’re able to determine, for instance, the account number, the transaction date, the name of the bank and the date of the transaction. These are all documents or data coming from the respective banks,” he said.
“The Ombudsman secured this information from the AMLC. So the source of her information is the Anti-Money Laundering Council. And the source of the documents from the Anti-Money Laundering Council came from the banks themselves,” Lacierda reiterated.
Banks are supposed to report to AMLC transactions above P500,000, he added. “That’s called a covered transaction. If you are a depositor which does not have a regular deposit of 500,000 and suddenly meron kang malaking amount, fina-flag ‘yan as what they call a suspicious transaction.”
The Chief Justice is set to testify before the impeachment court next Tuesday, May 22. Lacierda believes it is now the burden of Corona to disprove the allegations.
Also, Ombudsman Morales could not have been influenced or used by Malacañang against Corona, according to the presidential spokesperson. “Definitely, hindi po natin ginagamit… si Ombudsman Carpio-Morales para mang-harass.”
Lacierda cited the case of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, saying several cases against the former President were either dismissed or downgraded by the Ombudsman.
“So she has shown her independence and we commend her independence,” Lacierda added. —VS, GMA News
