Coronas appeal to graft court to throw out P137.9-M forfeiture case against them

Dismissed Chief Justice Renato Corona. Wikipedia photo

MANILA, Philippines – Former chief justice Renato Corona and his wife Cristina have appealed the Sandiganbayan to throw out the P137.9-million forfeiture case filed against them. The couple has accused the Office of the Ombudsman of abuse of authority and the Aquino administration of harassment; hence, the appeal to junk the case.

“The present case is nothing but an offshoot of the vindictive desire to continuously harass and persecute the former chief magistrate of the land under the cloak of a supposed crusade against corruption,” the Coronas told the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division.

“The amount of P137,937,208.88 allegedly reflecting the respondents’ supposed actual cash assets was erroneously computed and simplistically arrived at by merely adding amounts in the respondents’ bank accounts,” they explained.

The Coronas said that the allegations against them are baseless, and that their wealth is not “ill-gotten”, as the charges state, but that it was obtained through legitimate sources of income. They also

The former chief justice added that he managed to save up a considerable amount, from having worked in the public and private sector for over four decades, and that he and his family can account for all their assets.

Additionally, the Coronas denied the accusation that they undervalued their condominium units and other real estate properties.

The Coronas urged the anti-graft court to dismiss the amended forfeiture case against them for lack of merit.