CJ Submits Bank Waiver; Coronas, Basas Reconcile In Public

By ROLLY T. CARANDANG, MARIO B. CASAYURAN, and HANNAH L. TORREGOZA

MANILA, Philippines --- Chief Justice Renato C. Corona on Friday afternoon  submitted to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile the waiver he signed Tuesday that authorized banking institutions to open his dollar accounts, catching the impeachment court by surprise and prompting Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to move for a suspension of the proceedings.

“I’m submitting these (bank) waivers without any conditions whatsoever,” Corona said at the resumption of his trial.

Corona submitted the waiver for his dollar accounts shortly after the prosecution waived its right to cross-examine the Chief Justice.

However, Enrile said the impeachment court can only take note of the bank waiver but cannot act on it as the prosecution and the defense panels are deemed to have submitted the case for decision after they waived their right for cross-examination and direct examination, respectively.

The prosecution panel said Corona’s bank waiver came far too late.

Panel spokesman and Marikina City Rep. Miro Quimbo said Corona’s waiver was no longer useful considering that the details on his multimillion peso and dollar accounts had already been exposed by the prosecution and defense witnesses, including Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.

The long break, however, took a sudden twist when the Basa and Corona families, who had been at odds for about 30 years, had an emotional reconciliation at the Senate gallery as senators were holding a caucus to discuss the waiver. Corona’s wife Cristina and daughter Carla were caught by television cameras hugging members of the Basa family to the surprise of people in the Senate gallery.

The Basa siblings later approached the Chief Justice, who was at witness stand, and hugged him one after the other.

Baby Nebrida and former Antique Gov. Sally Zaldivar Perez, a classmate and friend of Mrs. Corona, respectively, was instrumental in reconciling the Basa and Corona families.

Earlier, Corona apologized to the impeachment court as well as to the public for leaving the witness stand last Tuesday without being discharged by Enrile, the presiding officer. His act was deemed by many as a “walkout.”

Corona said his disorientation (as a result of sudden drop of blood sugar) could be the result of sleepless nights, tension by the impeachment charges that has kept him on edge for the past six months, and the glare of publicity.

“Accepted,” Enrile said to the profuse apology of the visibly weak Chief Justice.

During the clarificatory questioning of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Corona declared in open court that he has more or less $2.4 million in four dollar accounts. However, it never ballooned to S12 million, he said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada was also able to elicit information from Corona that he has P80 million in his peso accounts.

Asked by Sen. Francis Pangilinan why he withdrew from his bank accounts on the day he was impeached, Corona said he had to do it as he got information from his “friends” in Malacañang that his accounts would be frozen.

Corona returned to the Senate yesterday against the advice of his doctors at The Medical City after signing a waiver Thursday afternoon, clearing the hospital, including its officials and doctors, of any responsibility should anything untoward happens to him when he appeared before the impeachment court yesterday.

Clad in white Barong and accompanied by his wife, Corona arrived at around 1:15 p.m. amid tight security at the Senate building. He was visibly very weak and had to be assisted as he walked toward the session hall as he refused to use a wheel chair.

The Chief Justice returned after his unceremonious “walkout” during his testimony at the Senate impeachment court last Tuesday.

When he was given the chance to apologize, Corona said:

“Ako po ay nagpapakumbaba at humihingi ng paumanhin… hindi ko po inaasahan ang mga pangyayari. Hindi po madali yung pinagdaanan namin. Mahirap I-describe ‘yung sama ng loob at sakit ng loob na aming pinagdaanan the past six (6) months,” Corona said. (“I am humbly asking for your forgiveness. I did not expect it. We went through difficult times. It’s difficult to describe the difficulties and heartaches we went through the past six months.”)

“Kaya ako po ay nagpapakumbaba na humihingi sa inyo, sa Senado, sa sambayanan, maging sa prosecution (panel) at sa aking defense team na hindi rin nila alam ang nangyari dahil silamismo ay nagulat,” the Chief Justice added. (“That is why I am humbly asking for forgiveness, to the Senate, to the public, to the prosecution panel and to my defense team who were unaware of what happened to me.”)

“Nalaman niyo ilang beses naman akong nabastos sa publiko ng ating Pangulo (Aquino) ngunit kahit na isang masamang salita wala kayong narinig sa amin. Hindi naman po ganoon ang aking ugali, di naman ako bastos na tao,” said the SC chief, adding that his sudden departure was unintentional. (“You’re all aware how many times I’ve been publicly humiliated by our President, but neither once did we say anything bad. That’s not my character. I’m not a rude person.”)