Corona should have declared
Columns condo – Enrile

PRESIDING OFFICER Juan Ponce Enrile says that Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona and his wife Cristina should have declared their ownership of a condominium unit at the Columns Ayala even if they were not satisfied with the condition of the unit.

The Coronas had purchased a unit at Tower 1 in the Columns Ayala as early as 2005 for P 3.5 million. However, the unit was only declared by Corona in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth only in 2010, or a lapse of six years.

Defense lawyers argued that the Coronas had refused to accept delivery of the condominium unit because they were disputing the quality of the unit. To prove this, the defense panel presented the building manager of the Columns, a Benz Lim. Lim, in his testimony, said that Cristina Corona had even written the Board of Directors of the Columns in 2011 to ask for a waiver of the interest for the condominium dues, complaining that her unit had been used by the condominium as a bodega or warehouse. Mrs. Corona also complained that the windows were unfinished and some of the rooms leaked.

Enrile however pointed out that the unit was already fully paid as early as 2005. As such, Enrile said it did not matter if the Coronas were disputing the quality of the condominium, as the unit was already clearly owned by the Coronas.

“There is a value involved here… that is an asset,” Enrile said.

When Enrile asked if the unit was declared in Corona’s SALN, defense lawyer Judd Roy said the unit was “included later,” specifically in 2010.

“The property was not formally accepted,” Roy argued.

“That is already a value, and fully paid, so that should be reflected in the SALN,” Enrile shot back. “It does not matter (if there is a dispute.) If the owner wanted to rescind the contract, he could have entered the unit (in his SALN) as a receivable.”

“It is totally irrelevant if they accepted the unit or not,” added Senator-Judge Serge Osmena. Osmena pointed out that it took the Coronas six years after getting the title of the condominium before declaring the property in Corona’s SALN. Osmena said this situation was “ridiculous.”