Inside Philippine politics & beyond

Ex-CSC Chair David questions Corona’s SALN non-disclosures on his wife

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My exclusive

By Raïssa Robles

Chief Justice Renato Corona was required by the SALN law to disclose starting 2003 that his wife sat on the board of a state-owned corporation, former Civil Service Commission chair Karina David told me in an interview.

David was chair of the Civil Service Commission when Cristina Corona first joined the board of John Hay Management Corporation in 2001 and then assumed the top post in 2007.

David’s credentials are impeccable. In 2008, David received a Jit Gill Memorial Award from the World Bank for “innovative public sector reforms” and for having “battled against formidable obstacles to defend meritocracy and improve civil service pay as Chair of the Civil Service Commission of the Philippines until February of this year.” She teaches at the University of the Philippines Institute of Social Work and Community Development.

Chief Justice Corona, in his Statement of Assets,Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for the years 2003 to 2006, made no mention whatsoever that his wife Cristina sat on the John Hay board. He only disclosed this starting 2007.

His wife should also have affixed her signature on CJ Corona’s SALNs, David confirmed. Cristina Corona never did that.

I decided to interview David after some commenters posted on my website that I was wrong in saying Corona should have declared his wife was working for the government in his SALNs. See my story CJ Corona’s SALNs only declared his wife was in government post in 2007

The commenters pointed out that the Bases Conversation Development Authority (BCDA)- the mother company of John Hay – was created under a special law, Republic Act No. 7227.

And this law stipulated that subsidiaries that would eventually be created like John Hay “shall be exempt from the coverage of the Civil Service Laws, rules and regulations.” John Hay was later created through an Executive Order issued by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In the interview, Prof. David mentioned RA 6713, the mother law which stipulates the proper disclosure of SALNs.

Here below is my interview with Prof. David:

RR: Were you the CSC chair at anytime between 2002 and 2007 when Mrs Corona sat on the board of John Hay but was not yet its President and CEO?

DAVID: YES. I was the CSC Chair from March 2001 to February 2008. Cristina Corona was first elected as member of JHMC Board on May 19, 2001. She was elected as Chairman/president/COO on July 16, 2007.

RR: Are you saying that as member of the board between 2002 and 2007, Mrs Corona should have been filing her SALN jointly or separately with her husband?

DAVID: As a Member of the Board of JHMC since 2001, she should have been regularly/annually filing her SALNs. RA 6713 defines public officials as follows: “includes elective and appointive officials and employees permanent or temporary, whether in the career or non-career service…whether or not they receive compensation, regardless of amount”. RA 6713 requires all public officials and employees, except those who serve in an honorary capacity to file their SALNs. Under the Rules issued by CSC, all other central officials and employees of GOCCs and their subsidiaries shall file their SALNs with the CSC.

Heads of GOCCs and their subsidiaries are required to file SALN with the OP. She cannot deny that she was the HEAD of JHMC starting 2007.

It goes without saying that she would have to declare the assets, liabilities and net worth of her spouse as required by RA 6713.

RR: Please explain the RA which created JHMC but exempted its officers from CSC rules. What exactly did this mean – that they were being exempted form CSC rules? Did this only pertain to their qualifications, such as they should have taken the government exam to qualify them for civil service?

DAVID: JHMC is a subsidiary of BCDA. It is not created by law but rather, created pursuant to an EO (EO 62, EO 132). An EO cannot exempt Corona from filing her SALNs. As stated above, officials and employees of GOCC subsidiaries are required to file their SALNs. The exemption from coverage of Civil service law and rules pertains to qualifications such as eligibility.

RR: And why would this mean that they still have to file their SALN between 2002 and 2007? Because some of my commenters have told me that the RA which created JHMC exempted them from CSC rules, and therefore they were also exempted from filing their SALNs.

DAVID: Again we go back to the fact that a mere EO cannot take precedence over categorical provisions of the law (RA 6713).

RR: Which government agency would be receiving their SALNs, if any?

DAVID: As a member of the Board, it (the SALN of Mrs Corona) should be filed with the CSC. As the Chair/Pres. of JHMC it should be filed with the Office of the President.

RR: So if Cristina Corona had to file her SALN, she was therefore a government employee in the eyes of the law?

DAVID: If you read RA 6713, nandoon naman yung definition. Members of the board are parang alanganin. They’re not employees, they’re not quite ofificals but they’re still required.

RR: Does this then mean that her husband, then Associate Justice Renato Corona, should have disclosed in his own SALNs from 2003 to 2006 that his own wife was in govenrment employ?

DAVID: Yes. In fact at the back of the SALN in the form there are some disclosures there of relatives up to the fourth degree who work in government. Since I haven’t see the SALNs of the chief jusice, I don’t know whether he declared his wife.

RR: Do yhou know if Crisitna Corona ever filed her SALN at the CSC?

DAVID: You have to check that. I think they (board members) are appointed by the president. Sa GOCCs (government-owned and controlled corporations like John Hay) you are either appointed or nominated by the president, then you are elected by the board.

RR: CJ Corona’s lawyer, Ramon Esguerra, told me in an interview that Corona’s SALN was actually a joint filing by the husband and the wife. A husband and wife working in government can file jointly or separately? What would indicate that it’s a joint filing?

DAVID: It’s fairly easy. I and my husband (UP sociologist Professor and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Randolph David) are both government employees. When we file SALNs they are exactly the same. It’s just the signatory that changes. Puwede yung joint filing.

The only reason you will have separate filings is if a spouse would not declare the income of his or her spouse because the spouse is filing also.

RR: Just to clarify, are you saying that CJ Corona should have disclosed in his SALNs from 2003 to 2006 that his wife was working in government?

DAVID: That’s very clear in the SALN form. It’s in the SALN form if your spouse is a government employee you declare that as well.

RR: In my interview with CJ Corona’s counsel Esguerra, he said Mrs Corona’s signature on CJ Coronas SALNs were not necessary although I pointed out to him that there was a line where the spouse was supposed to sign.

DAVID: Technically speaking, the SALN is the declaration for th entire family. Even if your spouse does not work in government, your spouse is supposed to acknowledge that that is correct. It (the signature) means the spouse agrees (to the correctness of the declarations).

To me, as a former chair of CSC, that kind of a response (from Esguerra that Mrs Corona’s signature was unnecessary) is like saying you know you shouldn’t have bothered to put it (the signature requirement) there (int he SALN) if it didn’t need to be filled up. Every form in government is studied and everything that is put in there has a reason.

RR: Has anybody gone to jail for improper disclosures in the SALN?

DAVID: The SALN is used for administrative cases. It’s similar to the impeachment trial but at a lower level. I say that because everybody in government is subject to administrative cases, except the impeachable officials. If you look at the charges levelled against people – the non-filing of SALN, falsification of public documents, the cases that you file don’t have to be criminal or civil. You just want to get people out (of government) because they don’t deserve to be in government. Those are through administrative cases.

When Sonny Marcleo was the Ombudssman we had an agreement so that they can concentrate on big-ticket items. Those at lower level can be charged for non-filing and falsification of SALN.

As administrative cases these are appealable to the CSC. We are the appeals body kasi.

When I first entered CSC the SALN was an unimportant imposition. But between Ombudsman Marcelo and myself we felt if we wanted to fight against corruption the SALN was a critical tool.

We felt it was an important tool to ensure that government officials and employees as per the law would stick to ethical values. And while you cannot be convicted based simply on the SALN, in many of the anti-graft cases the SALN is your primary lead.

For instance, if the employee is driving around in a brand new car. But in SALN hindi niya dinedeclare yung car, magdududa ka na. You can check on the (car) registration. If the registration is in the name of that employee you start suspecting it’s ill-gotten wealth. Yun ang nagiging lead. Oops. Merong tinatago ito. Saka ka mag-didig.

Yun ang use ng SALN. Kaya nga hinahanap mo either honest naman yung SALN o hindi. Tapos pag biglang nag-spike yung property niya. Biglang nagkaroon ng napakaraming properties. Hindi naman nagbabago suweldo niya. The SALN will show that.

Yung kay Chief Justice Corona, kung joint filing yan, dapat nakadeclare din ang assets ni Mrs Corona.

Personally, after interviewing Prof. David, I realized that not all of Mrs Corona’s assets were included in CJ Corona’s SALN – if that was really a joint filing as Atty Esguerra said. I made this conclusion because of one notable thing in his SALNs – the entry disclosing “Jewelry” never changed in amount. It was constant at P1 million from 2003 to 2010.

Can you imagine the wife of a man of “no ordinary means” (as Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez described his boss) not buying any piece of jewelry for SEVEN YEARS?

You can view CJ Corona’s SALNs here.

For more discussions on the Philippine civil service, I would recommend that you read my hubby Alan’s article entitled Whose service?  that appeared in the German development magazine D+C. Just click on this link.

 

Comments

  1. Raissa, I have been following you since I discovered you. I find your investigative journalism is awesome. I am wondering if you can do an investigation on these fake accounts spamming sites like ANC, DZMM, ABS-CBN etc etc.. They seem to be all against P-Noy too. They sure know how to twist and turn facts. If you think it is not worth it I won’t blame you.. I just thought there is someone bigger behind it all. :)

  2. if or when ever you testify and the senator-judges ask you to substantiate your evidence with reliable sources of info, are you allowed to divulge your sources or is that a violation of journalism ethics–just wondering what’s involved in this situation.

  3. Dito sa Batangas iisa ang usap usapan sa kanto at sa bawat sulok ng usapan ng mga tao kase taga rito si Renato Corona, Kung ang taong ito ay may malasakit sa sambayanang Pilipino, tutal naman wala ng tiwala sa kanyang ang kasalukuyang administrasyon kaya humantong sa ganitong impeachment trial sapagkat ito ang nararapat na proseso sa pagpapatalsik sa isa sa mga head ng equal branch of government (judiciary). simple lang kusa ka na dapat siyang aalis o mag-reresign. Hindi na dapat niyang hintayin pa na makaladkad ang pangalan ng kanyang buong angkan para halungkatin ang itinatagong yaman na hindi galing sa malinis na paraan. ako ay taong hindi matalino subalit habang tumatagal ang proceeding ng usaping ito. sigurado ako na sa walong (8) articles of impeachment ay may mapapatunayan dito ang prosekusyon. Okey sabihin na natin na kaya malakas ang loob ng panig ng Campo ni Corona na ipagpatuloy ang impeachment na ito ay mahirap makakuha ng 2/3 sa mga elected senators. Kahit naman ngayon mag-survey ka iisa lang ang hatol ng taumbayan, GUILTY si Corona

  4. Dapat ang isang public servant ay honest, lubos na malawak ang kaalaman ng isang Chief Justice sa batas at alam niya ito , alam niya na dapat naka declare ang lahat ng kanyang ari-arian sa SALN, Bakit kailangan itago, ikubli ito sa publiko eh public servant ka nga Chief Justice pa. dapat maging role model ka nga sa mga empleyado ng gobyerno. Sa kasaysayan ng bansang Pilipinas nakabandera sa buong mundo ang Punong mahistrado ng Pilipinas na nililitis sa isang impeachment court. dahil sa walong (8) articles of impeachment laban sa kanya.. Bakit kailangan dumating tayo sa ganito? Kung ang prinsipyo ng isang public servant ay maglingkod ng tapat at walang pag-iimbot sa bayan at ginagampanan ng buong husay ang kanyang tungkulin bilang lingkod bayan at hindi lingkod para sa sarili o para sa bulsa. hindi naman palagay tayo dapat humantong sa sitwasyong ito. Ngayon, naghihintay ang buong sambayanan na huwag hadlangan ang paglalatag ng ibidensiya na ibinubunyag ng prosecutor na mga ari-arian ni Corona na hindi naka state sa kanyang SALN.

  5. Raissa, wala akong maikokomento dito sa topic mo pero nais kong ipaalam sayo na nabasa ko na isa ka sa iimbitahan ng prosecutors para magtestify sa hanay ng mga journalists.

    Aba’y malaking tulong ang presensya mo.

    At pakisabi sa ma prosecutors, umayos sila. Sarap balasahin. Kidding.

    Good luck Raissa. You already

  6. ang galing nyo po maam, mas maganda pa mag basa ng article ninyo kaysa manood ng proceeding ng impeachment, kasi puro banat ang defense ng technical issues. puro irrelevant, immaterial, impertinent, defective complaint ang naririnig ko. Panay naman ang sang-ayon ni Enrile. keysu fishing expedition daw ang prosecutor, na wawalang na tuloy ng pag asa ang taong bayan na baka ma mis-trial lang ito.

  7. House-Prosecutor: We’d like to call our next witness for today – your honor.
    House-Prosecutor: Can you please state your name and address.
    Witness: My name is Raïssa Robles dot com (Raissa Robles.com

    House-Prosecutor: ahh, eehh, what is the dot com?
    Witness: With the indulgence of the court – your honors. It would save a lot of time for the stenographer, the Senate-Judges’ and for the Defense & Prosecution panels’ in this historic Senate Impeachment. Especially for the audience to easily find me.

    House-Prosecutor: ahhh, but why is that?
    Witness: In that site your honors, you would find my contact details, my Comments Policy, commenters to my blog site, and my archives of investigative reports – your honors.

    House-Prosecutor: oohhh, okay.

    House-Prosecutor: In one of your reports, Can you please give us a backgrounder of one of your reports, entitled “How Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo got caught in her own mousetrap – halo vest and all (162)”

    House-Prosecutor: It says that today it has (162), but the other day, it had 144. What does that mean?

    (ayos, na promote na rin ang blog site ni Raïssa Robles dot com.

  8. For my pilgrimage on 28 & 29 January, we’re going to visit the Basilica of St. Servaaskerk in Holland, then on 7 – 13 Ferbruary, we’re going to visit Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Michael the Archangel and Our Lady of Hope in France and Black Madonna And St Francis Xavier in Spain. I will request the organizer of the pilgrimages to include in the mass intentions the success of the impeachment trial against Corona. We are behind you if ever as a witness. God bless you and your family.

  9. as the lawyers ( prosecution and defense says)..I submit ..kabayan. Sana Ms Raisa makuha ng iba ang tapang mo para maipakita sa lahat ang bulok at nangangamoy na maling sistema sa ating lipunan. Itong kaganapan na ito ay siyang mag ga-guide sa atin para mabuksan na ang mga tulog na kaisipan at maging parte ng pagbabago. Mabuhay po kayo

      • Nabasa ko rin iyan tungkol sa pagiging testigo mo Raissa. You and Justice Sereno will be the game changer here. Ika nga tapus na boksing- convict na sigurado si “midnight”. hehehe

  11. keep up the good work mam,para yong mga kurakot na goverment official ay magkaroon ng takot.sohestion ko langpo pakibusisi din yong si prospero pichay astig masyado yan nong panahon ni pandak.god bless

  12. Raissa vs. Cuevas …sounds like pacquiao vs. mayweather to me… :D

    Good Luck sis you’re part of the history now.

    We support you all the way.

  13. “Justice Secretary Leila de Lima will be among the 18 witnesses for the prosecution to testify against Chief Justice Renato Corona’s alleged betrayal of public trust over an aborted overseas medical travel of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband….”

    “De Lima will testify along with two associate justices of the Supreme Court and its spokesman and court administrator Midas Marquez, a copy of the list of witnesses and documents e-mailed to INQUIRER.net by the office of Bayan Muna partylist Representative Neri Colmenares showed.”

    “Also on the list of witnesses are members of the broadcast and print media, like [b]Raissa Robles of South China Morning Post, Marites Vitug of Rappler.com,[/b] and Criselda Yabes who will testify on the alleged close relationship of Corona with Arroyo.”

    wow Raissa. I pray you’ll do fine. Beware of Cuevas though.

    God bless you.

      • WOW! Ms. Raissa, you’ll be in the witness stand! Puede bang mag inhibit ka muna sa pag susulat as this may have a bearing on your focus.? LOL, You know , I am archiving all the videos of this impeachment for my son as he will be taking up law soon and this material will surely be a good case study for him. This means you will be immortalized in a video.
        Pag si Midas na ang umupo sa witness stand, dapat firm yung microphone para hindi natutumba) :-)

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qJw10-ePSw

        • @Baltazar

          ang lakas mo kay Raïssa.

          anong mayruon ka na wala kami?

          Ikaw ang una na may comment YouTube link. Hanep.

          LOL!

          Midas “… Any questions?” aayyy, that said it all. tumaas din ang kilay niya. LOL!

          sayang ang pagkalalake mo!

        • @Mel
          LOL. Mate, Raissa uses WordPress blogging facility and due to security reasons, among the video links Word Press allows is You Tube. Selos ka naman agad. Mahal nya tayo lahat he he. But maybe she really purposely allowed it for a little fun and of course, relevance. Masyadong seryoso lahat eh :-) .

        • @Baltazar

          Ang sulat mo máte, “Selos ka naman agad. Mahal nya tayo lahat he he.”

          Ako selos, hindi naman. bilib nga ako sa iyo dahil kailangan ng ‘commercial’ para ngumiti o tumawa naman tayo.

          Mahal niya ang taong bayan. iyon ang mahalaga.
          maganda ang kaniyang adhikain sa inang bayan natin.

          mabalos.

    • Honestly, so far I’m not that impressed with the cross-examination skills of J. Cuevas. He even helped the prosecution yesterday when he elicited the opinion of Kim Henares as to tax evasion. But in any case, we are with you in spirit, Raissa! I also pray for you and in the event that you are called to testify, I hope that your testimony will shed more light on the truth.

        • It is for Article 7, may be in a few weeks, a month or two from now.

          It depends on the progress of Article 2, and what the prosecutors deem to be the next one. Maybe Article 7 ka-agad.

          I hope the Senate-Judges would be kind to you, and not force you to reveal your anonymous sources. And that they would not put you in Contempt, and not incarcerate you at their House ‘jail’.

          Would you accept the summon(s) with OPEN ARMS?

          It has to do with your articles concerning the ‘special’ relationship of R Corona and the Arroyo couple. Why the SC bias of approving a TRO ex parte.

          And other related info in relation to your Corona-Arroyo tandem reports/investigations.

          Credible witness ka by your chosen profession – investigative journalist.

          You still have plenty of time to prepare for Article 7, unless they’d invite you for the other articles for hearing/trial.

          Inggat at all the best.

    • Ms. Rissa,

      I look forward to seeing you on TV (or at least hearing your voice on the radio).

      Break a leg… or give ’em hell… or whatever it is they say to prospective witnesses. :)

      Seriously, we’re behind you all the way. Rock on!

  14. Hi Raissa,

    You may want to check the effectivity date of the substituted filing of ITR (BIR Form 2316). This is the discontinuance of filing of BIR 1701which was replaced by the Alphabetical (Alpha) List submission. This means that before the effectivity (not sure if in 2006 or 2007), Corona should be filing his ITR using BIR form 1701.