Koko to Corona: You have
not convinced me

SENATOR-JUDGE Aquilino Pimentel III also voted for conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona, saying he was not persuaded by the arguments of the defense that Corona had acted on good faith.

“The arguments of the respondent do not persuade this senator-judge,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel said that Corona “consistently misinterpreted all laws releasing him from his constitutional duty to disclose his assets in his statement of assets liaibilities, and net worth.”

Pimentel added that Corona “never corrected his SALN to reflect the true net worth of his assets.”

Pimentel also refuted the claims by the defense that the Foreign Currency Deposits Act imposed an absolute veil of secrecy over all foreign currency deposits. Pimentel said that the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Employees trumps any provision of secrecy in the Foreign Currency Deposits Act.

“RA 6426 (Foreign Currency Deposits Act) cannot be interpreted to nullify the main purpose of code (of Conduct),” Pimentel said.