I have only four dollar accounts – Corona

video by government TV station NBN4

SUPREME COURT Chief Justice Renato Corona today made his own powerpoint presentation before the impeachment court to debunk charges that he had amassed up to $12 million in 82 dollar accounts in eight different banks, as charged by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.

Corona said his powerpoint presentation was based on the same document that Morales had presented to the impeachment court as the basis for her own powerpoint presentation last week. Interestingly, Corona’s interpretation of the AMLC report was vastly different from that of Morales.

“The analysis of the AMLC report shows many accounts were already closed and the funds transferred to settlement accounts,” Corona told the court. “Each time a time deposit would mature and be rolled over, a new account would be created or consolidated to make a new one to earn higher interest.”

“Inuulit ko po sa taumbayan, wala po akong 82 dollar accounts. I do not have 82 dollar accounts as charged by the Ombudsman. The alleged AMLC report itself, contrary to the Ombudsman’s misleading representations, will show that there are only four dollar accounts by December 2012. Four, and not 82.”

In his powerpoint presentation, Corona showed a pie chart made up of the several dollar bank accounts that he allegedly owns, as indicated in the AMLC report. One by one, Corona explained how the bank accounts were closed and consolidated in another bank account.

For example, Corona said the Bank of the Philippine Islands Acropolis branch had seven bank accounts. “All these bank accounts in Acropolis were closed as early as 2004 and 2005, and transferred to BPI Tandang Sora and PSBank Cainta. Thus there were no longer bank accounts in Acropolis,” Corona said.

For the BPI Tandang Sora branch, Corona said all the accounts were closed by 2007, and then transferred to BPI San Francisco del Monte.

“Paliit ng paliit na ang pie,” Corona said as he erased portions of the pie chart to show the bank accounts that had already been closed.

“Hence, contrary to the Ombudsman’s testimony, the alleged AMLC report shows only four dollar accounts as of December 2011,” Corona said.

These accounts, Corona said, are:
BPI San Francisco del Monte 3244108104
Allied Bank 1582002676
and PSBank accounts 0141024292 and 0131002826

“Ayan po ang natira sa sinasabi niyang one big pie ni Ombudsman Morales,” Corona said.

“Meron po akong tanong kay Ombudsman Carpio Morales. Ginang Ombudsman, Kayo po ba ay pinapatulog ng konsyensya ninyo kung meron kayo nun. Alam mo naman na wala akong $10-12 million US dollar deposits at 82 bank accounts.”

Corona said he did not declare the dollar accounts in his statements of assets liabilities and net worth because they were protected by republic Act 6426 or the foreign currency deposits act which protects foreign currency deposits with an absolute veil of confidentiality.