March 14 Senate Impeachment Court Record

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012
Republic of the Philippines
Senate
Pasay City
Record of the Senate

Sitting As An Impeachment Court
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
AT 2:17 P.M., THE PRESIDING OFFICER, SENATE PRESIDENT JUAN PONCE ENRILE, DECLARED OPEN THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE RENATO C. CORONA. The Presiding Officer. The continuation of the Impeachment Trial of the Hon. Chief Justice Renato C. Corona of the Supreme Court is hereby called to order. We shall be led in prayer by Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Panginoong Diyos, Dakilang Ama namin sa langit, kinikilala namin ang inyong kabanalan. Muli, sa araw Pong ito, Panginoon, ay lumalapit kami sa Inyo upang humingi ng inyong basbas, gabay at patnubay upang patuloy naming magampanan nang maayos ang tungkulin na naiatas sa amin bilang mga Hukom, sa paglilitis na ginaganap dito sa Bulwagan ng Senado. Muli niyo Po kaming bigyan ng ibayong linaw ng pang-unawa at kaisipan, ng lakas ng loob at paninindigan, at isang malinis at matapat na puso na walang papanigan kundi ang tama, ang matuwid, at ang katarungan. Panatilihin Po Ninyo ang kahinahunan at katiwasayan ng loob naming mga Hukom sa pakikitungo sa magkabilang panig upang nang sa ganoon ay lumabas ang isang hatol na patas sa lahat. Naway matapos namin ang paglilitis na ito ng walang anumang balakid at sa lalong madaling pahanon upang makapagsimula na ang aming bansa sa isang magandang panimula at makinabang naman ang aming mga kababayang naghihirap. Ipagkaloob Niyo Po sa amin, Panginoon, ang mga tamang salita, upang maging makabuluhan ang aming mga katanungan, at nang maabot namin ang pawang katotohanan lamang sa mga kaganapang ito. Ito ang aming samo at dasal, sa Ngalan ni Hesus. Amen.
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The Presiding Officer. Amen. The Secretary will please call the roll of Senators. The Secretary, reading:
Senator Edgardo J. Angara ............................................................... Absent Senator Joker P. Arroyo ................................................................... Present Senator Alan Peter Compaero S. Cayetano ................................. Present Senator Pia S. Cayetano ................................................................... Present* Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago .................................................... Absent** Senator Franklin M. Drilon ................................................................ Present Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada ....................................................... Present Senator Francis J.G. Escudero .......................................................... Present Senator Teofisto L. Guingona III ....................................................... Present Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II ........................................................ Present Senator Panfilo M. Lacson ................................................................ Present Senator Manuel Lito M. Lapid ....................................................... Present Senator Loren Legarda ...................................................................... Present* Senator Ferdinand Bongbong R. Marcos Jr. .................................. Present Senator Sergio R. Osmea III ........................................................... Present* Senator Francis N. Pangilinan ............................................................ Present Senator Aquilino L. Pimentel III ........................................................ Present Senator Ralph G. Recto .................................................................... Present Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. ..................................................... Present Senator Vicente C. Sotto III ............................................................. Present Senator Antonio Sonny F. Trillanes IV ........................................... Present Senator Manny Villar ......................................................................... Present* The President ..................................................................................... Present The Presiding Officer. With 17 Senator-Judges present, the Presiding Officer declares the presence of a quorum. Senator Sotto. Mr. President. The Presiding Officer. The Floor Leader. Senator Sotto. Thank you, Mr. President. May I ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to make a proclamation? The Presiding Officer. The Sergeant-at-Arms is directed to make the proclamation. The Sergeant-at-Arms. All persons are commanded to keep silent under pain of penalty while the Senate is sitting in trial on the Articles of Impeachment against Chief Justice Renato C. Corona. The Presiding Officer. The Floor Leader. Senator Sotto. Mr. President, I move that we dispense with the reading of the March 13, 2012 Journal of the Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court and consider the same as approved.
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*Arrived after the roll call ** On sick leave
The Presiding Officer. Is there any objection? [Silence] There being none, the March 13, 2012 Journal of the Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court is hereby approved. The Presiding Officer. The Secretary will now please call the case. The Secretary. Case No. 002-2011, In the Matter of Impeachment Trial of Honorable Chief Justice Renato C. Corona. The Presiding Officer. Appearances, the Floor Leader. Senator Sotto. We ask the parties to make their appearances, enter their appearances, Mr. President. Representative Tupas. Good afternoon, Mr. Senate President, Your Honors. For the Prosecution Panel of the House of Representatives, same appearances. We are ready, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Noted. The Defense. Mr. Cuevas. For the Defense, Your Honor, the same appearance. We are ready, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Noted. The Floor Leader. Senator Sotto. Mr. President, we are now ready for the continuation of the presentation of evidence by the Defense. The Presiding Officer. Is the Defense ready? I understand the Prosecution reserved the right to cross-examine the witness yesterday. Mr. Cuevas. Yes, Your Honor. And we have that witness with us today. The Presiding Officer. Now, is the Prosecution ready to do the cross-examination? Mr. Hernandez. We are ready, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Let us start the proceeding this afternoon by the crossexamination of the witness presented by the Defense yesterday. Mr. Cuevas. While waiting for this witness, Your Honor, who is being summoned now by a member of the Defense Panel, may we be permitted, Your Honor, to make a short manifestation? The Presiding Officer. Proceed. Mr. Cuevas. Yesterday, among the documents that were marked for the Defense, Your Honor, is a handwritten letter of Mrs. Corona acknowledging the receipt by way of borrowing the different Torrens Certificates of Title. They were borrowed by the Prosecution lawyer, Your Honor, Attorney Justiniano. Now, after the trial in yesterdays proceedings, Your Honor, the said document has been missing and it was not returned. We tried to have a talk with Attorney Justiniano but there was no satisfactory explanation regarding the same. We are bringing that matter to the attention of this Honorable Court, Your Honor, just so proper remedies may be adopted by us in connection with the recovery of the said document.
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The Presiding Officer. Is Attorney Justiniano here? Mr. Justiniano. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Well, what happened yesterday?
Mr. Justiniano. I recalled having borrowed a bunch of documents but I did not notice that receipt. There was a bunch of documents which I turned over to The Presiding Officer. No. I saw them being transferred to you. Mr. Justiniano. Yes, Your Honor. There was a bunch of documents, Your Honor. I think that some of them are our copies of the documents which they marked. I am not really sure if that one piece of paper is included in that bunch of documents. May we be given time to look for them? The Presiding Officer. No. I saw that the documents were handed to you I think by the Defense Counsel. Mr. Justiniano. Yes, Your Honor. We admit that, Your Honor, the receipts, the xerox copy of the receipts but I do not really recall that one-page document, the receipt of the delivery of title. But anyway, we will look for it, Your Honor. It is possible that it may have been together with the other documents, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Please do that. Mr. Justiniano. We will do that, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. This has an ethical implication. Mr. Justiniano. We will do that, Your Honor. We will look for that document. The Presiding Officer. Yes. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you very much, Attorney Justiniano. The Presiding Officer. How soon can we expect the Prosecution to Mr. Justiniano. Until tomorrow, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Tomorrow? We are on trial today. Mr. Justiniano. We can ask some of our members, Your Honor, to look for The Presiding Officer. Who is the custodian of your records? Mr. Justiniano. I turned over the documents, Your Honor, after I have examined them to Atty. Wilson Gines. As far as I am concerned, I do not keep any documentary evidence, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. You are ordered to look for that document. Mr. Justiniano. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Prosecution, proceed. Mr. Hernandez. Thank you, Your Honor. Mr. Cuevas. Under the same oath.
The Presiding Officer. Under the same oath. Mr. Cuevas. Yes, Your Honor. Mrs. Bayuga on the witness stand. Mr. Hernandez. Mrs. Bayuga, good afternoon. Ms. Bayuga. Good afternoon. The Presiding Officer. Before you proceed. That is the only document missing, the handwritten Mr. Cuevas. The handwritten acknowledgment, Your Honor, of the seven (7) titles, TCT titles and the Deed of Sale of the Miriam property, both in handwriting. The Presiding Officer. And the Deed of Sale and the seven (7) titles are with you? Mr. Cuevas. Yes, Your Honor. We have it marked even. The Presiding Officer. Except the handwritten receipt? Mr. Cuevas. Yes, Your Honor, only the handwritten acknowledgment of Mrs. Corona relative to the borrowing of the seven (7) TCTs, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Proceed, Counsel. Mr. Hernandez. Thank you, Your Honor. Good afternoon, Mrs. Bayuga. Ms. Bayuga. Good afternoon, Sir. Mr. Hernandez. You testified yesterday. Was that by virtue of a subpoena? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. And when exactly did you receive that subpoena? Ms. Bayuga. Yesterday morning at around 10:00 a.m. Mr. Hernandez. Also yesterday. Okay. Now, when you received that subpoena, you were asked to bring with you the Certification that you brought with you, is that correct? Or had you already prepared that beforehand, Maam? Ms. Bayuga. Beforehand, Sir. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Before you came to Court yesterday to testify, you are aware of the Supreme Court Resolution dated February 14, 2012 regarding the propriety of Supreme Court Justices and employees from testifying before this Impeachment Court? Ms. Bayuga. Naririnig ko po iyon pero hindi ko po nabasa. Mr. Hernandez. Hindi ninyo po nabasa. So nung sinubpoena (subpoena) po kayo wala po kayong ginawa na may kaugnayan ho doon sa Resolution na iyon? Kailangan ninyo bang magpaalam sa Korte bago kayo nagpunta dito?
Ms. Bayuga. Siguro po hindi na dahil iyon po ang first time, February 1, meron din po akong subpoena from the Prosecution. Mr. Hernandez. Tama po. Pero February 14 ho na-issue iyong Resolution eh. Ang tanong ko po, noong na-receive ninyo iyong inyong subpoena which you said was Monday, in effect na ho iyong February 14 Resolution. May ginawa ba ho kayoDid you have to take any steps before coming to Court and testifying? Ms. Bayuga. Wala na po eh. Mr. Cuevas. Your Honor pleaseteka muna. If Your Honor please, we are compelled to object because there is nothing on record that will show that this Witness necessitated an authority from the Honorable Supreme Court in order to be here and testify on the matters she had testified pursuant to the subpoena issued by this Honorable Court, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. What is the purpose of this line of questioning, Counsel? Mr. Hernandez. Your Honor, I just like to know if there was authority for the Witness to testify. Because when it was our turn to present our evidence, as pointed out by Senator Pangilinan The Presiding Officer. What is the relevance or materiality whether there is or there is no authority given to this Witness? Mr. Hernandez. We would just like to know, Your Honor. And we would also like to know if there is a different treatment by the Supreme Court of the witnesses for the Prosecution vis--vis witnesses for the Defense. The Presiding Officer. I would suggest that you go direct to the point of your cross-examination. That is a peripheral matter. That is a collateral matter. Mr. Hernandez. Yes, Your Honor. Anyway, she admitted that she did not have to do anything. Mrs. Witness, you said that you prepared that Certification which you brought to Court yesterday, you prepared it beforehand. When exactly was this, Maam? Ms. Bayuga. Last February. Mr. Hernandez. Do you have a date? Ms. Bayuga. This certification, I prepared it last March 8.
Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Under whose instructions did you prepare it? Who asked you to prepare it, Maam? Ms. Bayuga. Upon instruction of my superior. Mr. Hernandez. When you say superior, this is Chief Justice Corona? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So he directly instructed you to prepare it, is that correct? Ms. Bayuga. Through my immediate chief. Mr. Hernandez. So you did not talk to him directly? Did you consult with him directly?
Ms. Bayuga. No, Sir. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Whether during the preparation or after it was prepared, you never had the chance to speak to Chief Justice? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So when you prepared it, I am assuming that it was also the figures you had a lot of figures here concerning his salaries and allowancesI am assuming that you also had this checked by the office of the Chief Justice before you signed it? Ms. Bayuga. No, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. So you just signed it without him having seen it beforehand, is that correct? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So just to recap so I can move on to another point, Chief Justice asked you to prepare this table which you did and you signed it and up to today, Chief Justice has not seen this table, would that be accurate? Mr. Cuevas. Your Honor, with the kind indulgence of the Honorable Court. The exact testimony of the Witness, Your Honor, is to the effect that she was instructed by her immediate superior who must have been talked to by the Chief Justice. That was the answer of the Witness. Mr. Hernandez. Your Honor, the Witness is here. She is competent to answer. The Presiding Officer. Let the Witness explain. Mr. Cuevas. Okay.
The Presiding Officer. Madam Witness, please be very clear. Make your answers clear so that there will be no wrangling. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Uulitin ko po. So nagpagawa po si Chief Justice nitong Certification na ito, ginawa niyo po, tama? Ms. Bayuga. Yes. Mr. Hernandez. Tapos pinirmahan niyo ho ng hindi niyo po pinapa-check muna kay Chief Justice? Tama ho ba yon? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. So hanggang ngayon ho ba hindi pa nakikita ni Chief Justice ito? Ms. Bayuga. Nakita na po. Mr. Hernandez. Kailan ho niya nakita? Ms. Bayuga. Last Monday. Mr. Hernandez. Bago kayo nagpunta dito?
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Ms. Bayuga. Kahapon po ako nagpunta dito.
Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So bago kayo nag-testify. Ano ho ang comments niya? Doon ho nag-meeting na kayo ng face to face ni Chief Justice? Ms. Bayuga. Binigay ko lang po sa kanya. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Tapos, bakit niyo ho ibinigay sa kanya? Ms. Bayuga. Dahil po mayroon pong discrepancy yun pong kami ay mag-check with the auditor. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ms. Bayuga. Yung una pong ibinigay naming Certification. Mr. Hernandez. Ah, so, may pagkakamali ho yung una niyong draft? Ms. Bayuga. Yung pong computation ko po Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ms. Bayuga. hindi ko po naisama yung additionalyung salary increases ni Chief. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. And he pointed out there was a mistake? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi po siya ang nag-point out kundi po ang auditor. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Teka ho. Sabi niyo pinirmahan niyo na ho kaagad, so yung signed certification niyo ho nakita hong may mali yon so gumawa ho kayo ng bago? Is that accurate? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So dalawa na ho yung signed niyo? Yung isa tinapon niyo na ho, yung may mali? Ms. Bayuga. Eh yun pong isa itinapon na po namin. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So yung mali ho na yon hindi si Chief Justice yung nag-point out pero yung auditor. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Pero pinarating niyo ho kay Chief Justice yon, yung first version? Ms. Bayuga. Opo, dahil kukunin ko po yung isang copy. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ano naman ho yung feedback sa inyo? Ms. Bayuga. Wala naman po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So si Chief Justice ho yung pinaka-boss ho nyo sa Supreme Court, tama ho ba yon? Ms. Bayuga. Opo, siya po ang Chief of the Agency.
Mr. Hernandez. So wala ho kayong pagkakataon na nagbigay siya ng instruction sa inyo tungkol sa paghanda nitong Certification? Ms. Bayuga. Wala po. Mr. Hernandez. Either directly or indirectly wala hong pinapasabi? Ms. Bayuga. Wala po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Bukod ho kay Chief Justice, may iba pa hong Justice na involved ho doon sa pag-review at paghanda nung Certification na dinala niyo? Ms. Bayuga. Lahat pong Justices iginawa ko po ng Certification. Mr. Hernandez. Sabay-sabay ho niyong ginawa? Ms. Bayuga. Isa-isa po dahil napakarami po. Mr. Hernandez. Oho. Pero Ms. Bayuga. For 2011 po yung ginawa ko sa ibang Justices. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So yung paggawa niyo ho nitong Certification na ito, this is an annual thing, every year niyo ho itong ginagawa? Ms. Bayuga. Upon request po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So sa ngayon hong pagkakataon si Chief Justice lang ho ang nagrequest, tama ho ba yon? Ms. Bayuga. Meron pong ibang Justices. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Alam niyo ba ho kung para saan yung Certification? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po alam kung saan po nila gagamitin. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Yung Certification niyo ho anobabasahin ko po. Ito ho yung Exhibit 114, yung una niyo hong papel na ipinakita sa Korte. This is to certify that Honorable Renato C. Corona, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, received the following salaries yun po. Tapos doon sa last pageThis Certification is being issued for whatever legal purpose it may serve His Honor. March 8, 2012. Ito hong His Honor si Chief Justice po yan? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Kasi siya ang nagpagawa sa inyo. Gaanong katagal niyo ho ginawa itong certification na ito? Ms. Bayuga. Matagal din po dahil nag-start po kami ng 2002. Mr. Hernandez. Ah, okay. Pero ito hoso bale update lang ho ito ng existing certification.
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Ms. Bayuga. Yearly po mayroon po kaming inire-report sa COA. Mr. Hernandez. Oho. Ms. Bayuga. Na allowancesalaries and allowances and other emoluments for theyearly po yon. Mr. Hernandez. Ah hindi, ganito na lang ho. Kailan ho kayo in-instruct ni Chief Justice na gumawa ng Certification na ito? Mr. Cuevas. Referring to the Certification now marked in evidence? Mr. Hernandez. Exhibit 114. Ms. Bayuga. Mga third week of February. Mr. Fernandez. Third week of February. May kinalaman ba ho paggawa nito tungkol dito sa kaso na ito? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po alam, Sir. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Pero alam niyo hong may kasong ongoing laban kay Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Accountant ba ho kayo, Ms. Bayuga? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi po. Mr. Hernandez. So, second week of February, natapos niyo ho March 8, mga tatlong lingo. Accurate ba ho yon more or less? Ms. Bayuga. More or less ho. Mr. Hernandez. Tapos, sabi niyo ho mag-isa niyong ginawa. Nobody assisted you, yun ho yung pagkasabi niyo kahapon. Ms. Bayuga. Dahil mayroon na po kaming existing records na yearly po hinihingi ng COA kaya po parang mas madali po sa amin yon. Mr. Hernandez. So, bale nagdagdag na lang ho kayo ng isang taon, ganoon ho ba? Ms. Bayuga. Nagdadagdag lang po kami. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So, yung past, the previous entries, calendar years 2002 to 2010, hindi niyo na ho ginalaw yon, 2011 na lang dinagdag niyo? Ms. Bayuga. Ni-review din po namin. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Pag sinabi niyong ni-review niyo, yun yong binabanggit niyo kahapon na tsini-check niyo po yong bawat payroll, tama ho ba yon? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Ni-review din po namin baka po mamaya mayroon pong pagkakamali. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So, hindi niyo lang ho dinadagdag yong 2011, dino-double check niyo pa ho doon sa existing hardmay file ho siguro ng payroll yun, yong sinasabi niyong voluminous, ano ho?
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Ms. Bayuga. Mayroon po. Mr. Hernandez. So, kayo lang ho ang gumawa niyan. Ms. Bayuga. Pinakukuha ko lang po sa file namin then I am the one who reviewed and evaluated the record. Mr. Hernandez. Opo. Ah, reviewed and evaluated. So, hindi ho kayo nagpasok ng entries. Ms. Bayuga. Actually, may entries po ako. I am the one. Mr. Hernandez. Oo. Sabi niyo ho kasi kahapon alone, di ba? Sabi niyo no one assisted you. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mayroon po ako.Ako po ang gumawa po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Teka ho. Kayo ho mismo ang nagpasok ng entries ng Ms. Bayuga. Ako po ang nagpasok ng entries. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Eh, yung ano, yong mga nakaraan ho 2002 to 2010, kayo pa rin ho ang nagpasok noon? Ms. Bayuga. Yun pong mga past years, ano po yon, nagawa na po yon, pero kinuha din po uli namin ang payrollkinuha ko po ang payroll tiningnan ko po uli. Mr. Hernandez. Ah, so, para sigurado ho? Ms. Bayuga. Para po sigurado. Mr. Hernandez. Oo. Pero sabi niyo you did it alone. Wala hong nag-check nung ginawa niyo? Ms. Bayuga. Wala na po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So, isang tao lang ho yan, walang pangalawang set ng mata na magtitingin baka nagkamali kayo ng isang numero, wala hong ganoon? Ms. Bayuga. Kung mali man po, ako po yong nag-check alone. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Eh, yong mga ano ho, yong mga miyembro hoabogado po ng Defense, nakipagkita ba ho kayo bago kayo nagpunta dito? Ms. Bayuga. Doon lang po kami naupo. Mr. Hernandez. Saan ho? Ms. Bayuga. Sa Defense po dahil wala po naman akong kilala dito. Mr. Hernandez. Ah, yong sinasabi niyo ho kahapon bago kayo tawagin? Ms. Bayuga. Bago po. Mr. Hernandez. Bago ho noon, wala kayonghindi kayo nakikipagkita sa kahit kaninong abogado? Ms. Bayuga. Wala naman po. Mr. Hernandez. Hindi ho kayo nag-practice ng testimony niyo?
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Ms. Bayuga. Wala naman po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay.
Okay. So, punta na ho tayo doon sa Certification niyo, yong Exhibit 114. May kopya ho ba kayo sa harapan ninyo? Ms. Bayuga. This Certification? Mr. Hernandez. Yes. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Yong ginawa niyo ho, March 8? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ngayon, una ko hong napansin it is divided into three (3) different sets: salaries and other emoluments, fringe benefits and other allowances, tapos, yong panghuli ho, expense allowance. Nakikita niyo ho yon? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Ano ba ho yong pagkakaibaano ba hong ibig sahibin ng emoluments? Ms. Bayuga. Ibat-iba pong allowances na tinatanggap ni Chief Justice. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ano ho ang pinagkaiba nung set na yan, yung first group, doon sa pangalawang group, yung fringe benefits and other allowances? Kasi ho nakagrupo ho ng iba, eh. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Ito pong fringe benefit and other allowances, ang iba po dito ibinigay po namin saout of our fiscal autonomy. Mr. Hernandez. Ano hong ibig sabihin nun? Puwede niyo ba hong ipaliwanag sa akin? Ms. Bayuga. Yun pong allowances na ibinigay namin sa fiscal autonomy, out of savings po. Mr. Hernandez. As opposed to, yung first group ho Ms. Bayuga. Yung first group ho Mr. Hernandez. kung hindi out of savings yun, out of saan ho iyan? Ms. Bayuga. Sa GAA po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. GAA, meaning, General Appropriations? Ms. Bayuga. Appropriations Act. Mr. Hernandez. So iyan ho yung budget ng Supreme Court? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Eh, yung ano hoYung third grouping, Expense Allowance, ano ho yun? Ms. Bayuga. Expense Allowance po, ito po ay as JBC chairman si Chief Justice.
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Mr. Hernandez. Bakit ho may sarili siyang category? Ms. Bayuga. Ganito po ang ipinagawa sa akin ng immediate chief ko na i-ano ko po yung in three categories. Mr. Hernandez. Okay, pero hindi niyo po alam yung dahilan? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Ngayon ho, sige, isa-isahin ho natin. Doon ho tayo uli sa page 1, Exhibit 114. Salaries hoyung unang-unang entry P353,045 for calendar year 2002, nakikita niyo po iyon? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. So ano ho itong entry na ito? I am assuming ito ho yung official na suweldo niya as Chief Justice, tama ho ba yun? Ms. Bayuga. Ito po yung tinanggap niya starting April 9, 2002, yun pong entrance niya as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Mr. Cuevas. May I ask permission, Your Honor, just to advise the Witness to talk louder, Your Honor, apparently The Presiding Officer. Yes. Ayusin mo lang yung microphone mo para naiintindihan ka namin. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. The Presiding Officer. Nahihirapan din ako eh. Malayo ako sa iyo kaya nakatingin ako dito sa monitor. Mr. Hernandez. Sige po, pakituloy. Ms. Bayuga. Ito pong P353,045, tinanggap po ito ni Chief Justice effective April 9, 2002 noon pong siya ay maging Associate Justice ng Supreme Court. Mr. Hernandez. Oho. Tapos for every year, ito ho yung pinaka-basic na suweldo niya as Chief Justice. Tama ho ba yun? Ms. Bayuga. As Chief Justice. Mr. Hernandez. As Chief Justice. Okay. Tapos dun sa calendar year 2010, may footnote: Promoted to Chief Justice effective May 17, 2010. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Yung pag-promote ho na iyon, may salary Ms. Bayuga. May salary increase po siya. Mr. Hernandez. Bakit hindi ho sa 2010 pumasok yung salary increase? Parang kaunti lang yung difference between 2009 and 2010.
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Ms. Bayuga. At that time po yung salary increases po nila sa third tranche hindi posa second tranche, hindi pa po ibinibigay. Mayroon pong status quo ante dahil po sa monthly special allowance pursuant to 9227. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So ibig sabihin, na-delay ho nang kaunti yung increase ho? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Pero reflected na ho iyon sa 2011? Ms. Bayuga. 2011 po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Yung susunod ho na entry Longevity Pay, ano ba ho ang ibig sabihin niyan? Ms. Bayuga. Ano ho ito, after 10 years po na nag-Associate Justice, they are entitled to receive Longevity Pay. Mr. Hernandez. Ano hong basehan niyan? Batas ba ho iyan o Supreme Court Resolution o Ms. Bayuga. Parang may batas po tungkol po dito. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Pero hindi ho kayo sigurado? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Next entry, PERA. What does PERA stands for, Ms. Bayuga? Ms. Bayuga. Personal Economic Relief Assistance. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ms. Bayuga. Pero ito po nung una is P1,500 then inalis po natininalis po yung AdCom, isinama po natin sa PERA. Mr. Hernandez. Teka ho. Ano ba ho yung AdCom? Sinasabi niyo AdCom, yung susunod na entry? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Ano ba ho yung AdCom? Sinasabi niyo AdCom yung susunod na entry. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Ano ba ho yun? Ano ang ibig sabihin? Ms. Bayuga. Additional Compensation po in the amount of P500 a month. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ano hong basehan nun? Ms. Bayuga. Mayroongnasa GAA din po yan dati. Mr. Hernandez. So, lahat ho ng government offices may ganyan o kayo lang? Ms. Bayuga. Ang alam ko po lahat pong agency mayroon. Mr. Hernandez. Okay.
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Ito hong next entry, RATA. Ano ho ang ibig sabihin ng RATA? Ms. Bayuga. Representation Allowance and Transportation Allowance. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So, doon sa pangalan ho, ito ho yung mga allowance na ibinibigay kay Chief Justice para sa transportation at saka para saan pa ho? Ms. Bayuga. Representation allowance ho. Mr. Hernandez. Pag sinabing representation, ano ba ho ang ano, what would fall under that category? Ms. Bayuga. That is commutable allowance po for miscellaneous expenses. Mr. Hernandez. Katulad ho ng ano? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po alam kung ano po yung ginagastos nila sa RATA. Mr. Hernandez. So, ang ibig niyo hong sabihin, ito ho ibinibigay sa Chief Justice Ms. Bayuga. Monthly. Mr. Hernandez. monthly? Ms. Bayuga. In a monthly basis. Mr. Hernandez. Oho. Pero the Chief Justice is going to use this for his transportation expenses Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. at saka representation. Siguro ho, yung mga restaurant, kakain sa labas, mga ganun ho? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi Mr. Hernandez. Hindi ba ho dahil RATA yan, dapat yung pera ho pumunta talaga sa ano, sa transportation at saka representation. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Hindi naman ho salary ito, hindi ba? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. So these are funds which are used by the Chief Justice as a function of his office. Ginagastos ho niya ito dahil Chief Justice siya para may panggastos siya, may pang-gasolina siya. Tama ho ba yun? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So, since ginagastos niya, hindi niya ho inuuwi ito, hindi ho kaniyang pera ito. Ginagastos niya bilang isang official ng Supreme Court. Hindi niya ho ibinubulsa ito. Pang-gasolina niya ho ito, pang-transportation, restaurant while he is on official business. Tama ho yun? Ms. Bayuga. Opo.
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Mr. Hernandez. Okay.
Yun hong susunod, Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expensesnext item na ho, yung last na ho. Ms. Bayuga. Oho. Mr. Hernandez. Ano ho ang ibig sabihin nito? Ms. Bayuga. Ito po nakalagay din po, stated din po ito sa GAA, for the use in the office po ito. Mr. Hernandez. Alam niyo ba kung anongwhat particular use in the office? Ms. Bayuga. Miscellaneous and extraordinary expenses po. Mr. Hernandez. Hindi ba ho ano yan, yung mga public relations, meetings, seminars, mga ganun ho? Ms. Bayuga. Diyan po Mr. Hernandez. Tama ba yun? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Mga subscription to professional journals, diyan papasok yun. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Diyan po Mr. Hernandez. Pero ito hong extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses, ano ho ito ano, kailangan may pruweba na ginamit ni Chief Justice para doonparakailangan niya hong i-liquidate ito no. Hindi niya puwedeng, halimbawa, gastusin sa personal niyang gusto. Kailangan din ho as a function of his office. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. So, he has to make an accounting of where he spent these funds. Tama ho ba yun? Ms. Bayuga. Ang liquidation po nito yung payroll po na ipinadadala namin sa COA. Mr. Hernandez. Pakipaliwanag nga ho yun. Ano ba ho ang ibig sabihin ng liquidation? Ang pagkakaintindi ko ho doon, ina-account niya kung paano niya ginastos. Tama ho ba yun? Ms. Bayuga. Sa amin po sa Supreme Court, it has been the practice na through payroll po ang payment ng Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expense Allowances. Mr. Hernandez. Ano ho ang ibig sabihin ng through payroll, isinasama ho sa suweldo niya? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi po. Additional payroll po ito. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Pero ang paggamit ho ng pondo na ito para doon sa mga sinabi kong mga uses? At in the same manner, hindi niya puwedeng iuwi ito, magbakasyon siya sa abroad. Kailangan ginagamit niya for extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses of his office as a Chief Justice. Hindi ba? Ms. Bayuga. For the office.
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Mr. Hernandez. Hindi puwedeng kaniya ho no. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Hindi niya puwedeng iuwi ito, hindi niya puwedeng isama sa bank account niya ito. Tama ho yun? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Teka ho, Ito hong mga allowance na ito, sinasabi ninyo kailangan gastusin niya in relation to his office, hindi ba ho, as Chief Justice? Hindi niya puwedeng iuwi ito. Hindi niya puwedeng isama sa personal savings account niya. Hindi niya puwedeng gastusin for his personal use. Ibig sabihin hindi ho talaga kanya iyan, but it goes with the office, iyong expenses ho na ito. They come with the office and he is expected to use them as a function of his office para may panggastos ho siya, tama ho ba iyon? Ms. Bayuga. Opo.
Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So, teka ho ha. Kahapon kasi sabi ninyo yungActually, headlines ho sa diyaryo kanina na iyong kinita ni Chief Justice Corona, P21 million, yungkasi binasa ninyo ho iyong total kahapon, hindi ba, P21 million over 10 years? Pero hindi naman ho talaga kanya iyong buong P21 million na iyon, hindi ba? Kasi yun madami nga ho. Sabi ninyo eh expenses nga ho niya. Dahil Chief Justice siya, may mga panggastos siya. Mr. Cuevas. If Your Honor Mr. Hernandez. Correct? Tama ba ho? Mr. Cuevas. If Your Honor please. Teka, huwag kayong sasagot muna. If Your Honor please, the trend of the question tends to establish, Your Honor, that the Witness has something to do with the appropriation, payment and release of this amount. All that the Witness stated is that she gotall these items mentioned by her here came from already a longentries involving a long span of time. In other words, she has nothing to do with the appropriation. She has nothing to do with the payment. She has nothing to do with the determination of the validity of said appropriation, Your Honor. That is my point of objection. The Presiding Officer. Kayo po ba ay involved sa pagre-release noong mga pera na iyan sa mga Mahistrado? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
The Presiding Officer. O, iyon pala eh. Trabaho niya iyon. Mr. Cuevas. This is release only, Your Honor. Ms. Bayuga. Only the payment po. We just prepare the payroll, disburse to them, then wala na po kaming pakialam kung saan po nila ginagamit.
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Mr. Cuevas. That is my point, Your Honor.
The Presiding Officer. Kaya nga. Iyong payment, may kinalaman ka. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Opo, Your Honor.
The Presiding Officer. Kung paano nila ginamit iyon, hindi mo alam. Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po alam.
The Presiding Officer. O, yon. Mr. Hernandez. Pero alam ninyoalam ninyo kung para saan dapat iyong mga allowances na iyon, hindi ba ho? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko naman po
Mr. Hernandez. Sinabi ninyo ho kahapon iyong functions ninyo. Babasahin ko ho ha? Ms. Bayuga. Opo.
Mr. Hernandez. Ito ho iyong binasabinasa ninyo rin ho ito. Mr. Cuevas. Okay. The question is Mr. Hernandez. Supervises and implement the policies, rules and regulations related to the operation of the Cash, Collection and Disbursement Division. So kayo ho ang nagsu-supervise ng policies and rules. Supervises the activities of the personnel, custodian of all monies and other cash items, official receipts of the Court; signs, and cashes checks of cash advances for salaries, allowances and other benefits. So sa inyo din ho nanggagaling iyon. Kayo rin ho ang pumipirma. Signs disbursement vouchers for cash advances, initial salaries, terminal leave with pay and other payments made to official employees of the Court. So siya ho talaga. Kayo ho talaga ang involved dito sa disbursement at saka sa characterization ng mga expenses na ito. Mr. Cuevas. Huwag kayong sasagot.
If Your Honor please Mr. Hernandez. Sa inyo po galing ito. Mr. Cuevas. The question is kilometric. It is too general. The Witness would not know which of these questions she will answer. Will you kindly Mr. Hernandez. Those are her functions, Your Honor. Mr. Cuevas. Yes. But what is The Presiding Officer. Just make your questions specific. Slice it into bits so that there will be no arguments. Mr. Hernandez. Magmo-move on na lang ho ako. Pero nagkakaisa ho tayo na iba-ibang entry ho ito dahil iba-iba iyong purpose noong mga pondo na ito. Hindi naman ho suweldo lahat ito, di ba? Ms. Bayuga. Opo.
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Mr. Hernandez. Isa lang iyong entry ninyo ng salaries, hindi ba, iyong sa taas lang? The Presiding Officer. Sandali lang. Sandali lang. Madam Witness, itong mga classification ng mga gastusin na ito, ito ay periodic na ibinibigay sa mga Mahistrado? Periodic ba ito? Ms. Bayuga. Mayroon pong monthly, mayroon pong quarterly at mayroong The Presiding Officer. Kaya nga periodic Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Periodic po.
The Presiding Officer. whether it is monthly, quarterly. Ms. Bayuga. Opo.
The Presiding Officer. Hindi iyong kung gagastos siya ay magbibigay siya sa iyo ng resibo na Ito ay ginastos ko, hindi ba? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Hindi po.
The Presiding Officer. Ito ay nasa budget na, budget of expenditure. Ms. Bayuga. Opo.
The Presiding Officer. Ng Korte Suprema? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
The Presiding Officer. At iyan ay inire-release na ninyo sa mga Mahistrado linggo-linggo, buwan-buwan, o quarterly, o semestrally. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Ngayon, kung ginamit nila iyan o hindi, hindi na ninyo alam iyon. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Walang liquidation na pumapasok sa inyo. Ms. Bayuga. Wala po. The Presiding Officer. Basta certification? Ms. Bayuga. Certification po na nakalagay po sa payroll. The Presiding Officer. Certification ang liquidation nito? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Ayun. O, sige. Mr. Hernandez. Sige po. Ano po iyong Certification na iyon? Sini-certifyhalimbawa, si Chief Justice, sini-certify niya na nagamit niya itong pondo na ito para doon sa allotted purpose? Ganoon ba ho iyong Certification?
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Ms. Bayuga. May nakalagay na po sa payroll na iyon pong ano na-spent po nila sa mga miscellaneous po. Mr. Hernandez. Oho. They spent it pursuant to the purpose for the fund, hindi ba ho? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Tama lang. Okay. So, they spent it while on duty with the Supreme Court. They do not take it home for their personal use, tama ho? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po masagot iyon. Mr. Hernandez. Maaari ba hong inuuwi nila? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po alam dahil hindi naman pobasta pag kuha po sa amin Mr. Hernandez. Pero para saan po iyong Certification? Ms. Bayuga. Na gagastusin po nila iyon for miscellaneous expenses. Mr. Hernandez. Ms. Bayuga. Opo, sang-ayon ho doon sa purpose noong pondo.
Sa purpose po noong ano
Mr. Hernandez. Correct. Okay. Salamat po. Ngayon, sabi ninyo custodian din ho kayo ng mga resibo. Tama ho ba iyon? Ms. Bayuga. Opo dahil po sa amin po ang collection. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So, ano hong mga resibo ito? Halimbawa, iyong mga barong ho ni Chief Justice, nasa inyo ba ho iyon? Ms. Bayuga. No, Sir. Official receipts we used for daily receivingreceiving of daily collections for legal fees, bar examination. Mr. Hernandez. So hindi ho iyong mga resibo noong each Justice? Ms. Bayuga. No, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. The Presiding Officer. Linawin lang natin iyan, ano. Ang sinasabi ninyo na resibo na iniissue ninyo ay iyong resibo noong mga fees o charges na kinokolekta ng Korte Suprema sangayon sa batas, sang-ayon sa reglamento, hindi ba? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Iyon ang income. Ngayon, iyong expenditure ay walang resibo iyon na nanggagaling sa inyo? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
The Presiding Officer. Maliban na lang iyong sa suweldo, iyong mga allowances, pinipirmahan nila iyong mga dokumento na nagpapakita na tinanggap nila iyong kanilang suweldo at allowances nila. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
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The Presiding Officer. Oh, ayun. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ito hong mga allowances na ito, halimbawa, iyong Extraordinary and Miscellaneous, RATA, monthly special allowance, paano ho ang pagbigay ho niyan kay Chief Justice? Cash ho ba iyan? Tseke ba ho iyan? Ms. Bayuga. Cash payroll po. Mr. Hernandez. Ano ho ang ibig sabihin noon? Ms. Bayuga. We made the payroll; we prepare the payroll, then in cash, binibigay po namin sa kanila. Mr. Hernandez. So cash, as in cold cash? Bills and coins ho iyan? Ms. Bayuga. Yes.
Mr. Hernandez. Hindi ninyo ba ho dinideposito sa bangko nila? O walang tseke? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. So, cash ho talaga? Ms. Bayuga. In cash po. Mr. Hernandez. Alin ho dito sa mga entries iyong cash? O lahat ba ho iyan ay cash? Ms. Bayuga. In cash pong lahat. The Presiding Officer. Sandali lang. Iyan ba ay cash o tseke? Ms. Bayuga. In cash, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Currency? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Pesos and centavos? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Okay. Mr. Hernandez. Eto hong entry na extraordinarynasa page 2 na po ako, Exhibit 115, yung bandang baba ho, third to the last Extraordinary and Miscellaneous ExpensePET. Ano ho ito? Ano ho ibig sabihin nito? Ms. Bayuga. Monthly expense allowance equivalent to Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expense Allowance sa Presidential Electoral Tribunal po. Mr. Hernandez. So, binibigay rin ho ng cash ito bawat buwan? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Medyo malaki ho to mas mataas pa ho sa salary niya ito? Ms. Bayuga. No, Your Honor. It is only P16,000 a month.
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Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Eh yung kasunod ho nun? Yung Monthly Expense Allowance, PET? Ms. Bayuga. That is monthly expense allowance equivalent to RATA from the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. Mr. Hernandez. Yun ba hong Presidential Electoral Tribunal eh saan ho nanggagaling yung pondo nun? Supreme Court din ba ho yun? Ms. Bayuga. No, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Saan ho? GAA rin ho yan? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Tapos, ano ho yan, para bang hindi na rin ho kailangang i-liquidate yan, basta binibigay ho sa bawat justice yan? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Tapos cash ho ito? Ms. Bayuga. In cash po. The Presiding Officer. Dalawang (2) item yun, di ba? RA, ano yung RA? Ms. Bayuga. Representation Allowance and Transportation Allowance. The Presiding Officer. Yung TA? Ms. Bayuga. Transportation Allowance, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. O, ayun. Kasama doon ang gasolina, di ba? Transportation allowance, gasolina? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Kung mag-taxi siya o sasakay sa eroplano, kasama yun? Kasama ba yun? Ms. Bayuga. For gasoline expenses, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. For gasoline expenses lamang. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. The Presiding Officer. Okay. Yung representation expense, yun ang for entertainment ng mga bisita, ng mga pangrega-regalo, di ba? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Oh. Mr. Hernandez. May I proceed, Your Honor? The Presiding Officer. Yes, proceed. Mr. Hernandez. Ms. Bayuga, nabanggit niyo po kanina na paminsan-minsan kailangan magsubmit ng certification si Chief Justice, tama ho ba yon?
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Mr. Cuevas. Certification in connection with what, please? Mr. Hernandez. For the release of the allowances, the one which was Mr. Cuevas. Which allowance? Because too general, eh. Mr. Hernandez. Ang pagkakaintindi ko lahat ng allowance as she testified. Mr. Cuevas. So, the question now relates to all the allowances? We are objecting because the question is too general, Your Honor. There are plenty of allowances mentioned in here. The Witness has nothing to do with the appropriation therefor. The Presiding Officer. Alam mo, there are certain allowances that are liquidated for purposes of auditing Mr. Cuevas. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. by way of certification because it is cumbersome to getto file up receipts along the way, di ba? Mr. Cuevas. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. O yun ang sinasabi na Certification. Linawin mo sa Witness. Mr. Hernandez. Opo. Alin-alin ba hong allowances yun, yung kailangan ng Certification dito ho sa listahan ninyo? Puwede niyo ba hong isa-isahin yung kailangang i-liquidate? Mr. Cuevas. Certification of having spent? Certification of having receipt? That is precisely our basis, Your Honor, that is why we are objecting. Mr. Hernandez. Your Honor, I am just basing it on the The Presiding Officer. Yung Certification normally deals with expenditure. Mr. Cuevas. Expenditure, yes. Mr. Hernandez. Anu-ano ho yun? Ms. Bayuga. Lahat pong ito ay paid by payrolls. So, lahat pong liquidation namin is the monthly report of disbursement. The payrolls also received by the Chief Justice. Mr. Hernandez. So, lahat ho ito kailangan ng one (1) Certification? Ms. Bayuga. Not certification, Sir, but payroll. The paid payroll itself. Mr. Hernandez. Hindi ko po maintindihan. Ms. Bayuga. Yun pong Mr. Hernandez. What do you mean by paid payroll? Ms. Bayuga. I have no payroll here. Parang Mr. Hernandez. Ganito na lang ho. Nabanggit niyo po kanina na nagsa-submit si Chief Justice ng Certification, di ba ho, for expenditures? Ms. Bayuga. Iyon pong Certification na sinasabi ko sa inyo, stated na po iyon sa payroll na nakalagay po duon na yun pong gagastusin nila for miscellaneous expenses ay for this purpose.
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Mr. Hernandez. Puwede ba ho kayong magdala ng sample? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Para hoThank you. May dala ba ho kayo ngayon? Ms. Bayuga. Wala po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Puwede ho kayong magdala next time? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Thank you.
Siguro mga four (4) or five (5) para lang ho makita namin kung puwedeng iba-ibang purposes para maiba naman ho. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Thank you. Okay, so punta na hotakbo na ho tayo sa Exhibit 116. Yung third page niyo ho, yung Supreme Court Christmas Allowance. Tapos may footnote ho kayo dito: SC Christmas Allowance to augment representation expenses for subsidy of SC cash raffle and donation to charitable institutions. Tama ho iyon? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. So, diyan ho talaga ginagamit itong allowance na ito? Ms. Bayuga. Ito po pine-prepare po namin ang payroll as per authority signed by the Chief Justice and the fourteen (14) Justices. Then ibinibigay po namin sa kanila or nagbibigay po sila sa amin for subsidy for SC cash raffle. Mr. Hernandez. Oho. So Ms. Bayuga. Hindi lang po si Chief Justice kung hindi lahat po ng Justices. Mr. Hernandez. Opo, opo. So ginagamit naman ho for the purpose stated in the footnote? Ms. Bayuga. institution Iyon pong iba dahil nakalagay naman po diyan donation to charitable
Mr. Hernandez. Oho. So dino-donate naman ho siguro nila sa charity iyon? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko naman po sila nakikita kung ano dahil ang liquidation nga po, hindi naman po resibo kundi po yung paid payroll Mr. Hernandez. Oho. Ms. Bayuga. kaya hindi ko po kayo masasagot. Mr. Hernandez. Oo. Pero may Certification ho sila. So ang assumption ho, ginamit ho para duon sa pakay niya. Ms. Bayuga. Wala pong Certification na nakalagay sa payroll.
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Mr. Hernandez. Ah, wala ho? Ms. Bayuga. Wala po. Mr. Hernandez. Aantayin ko na lang ho yung anoyung dadalhin ninyo. Ms. Bayuga. Just the Authority. Iyon pong authorit-ing (authority) isinend (send) po sa amin approved by the Chief Justice and the 14 Associate Justices, igagawa po namin ng payroll iyon then ire-receive po nila yun in cash. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Yung Authority ho, ano ang usually na nakasulat ho duon? Ms. Bayuga. Iyon po, kung ano po ang nakalagay dito. Mr. Hernandez. Ah, okay. Yung purpose nga ho? Ms. Bayuga. Yung purpose po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So parang nag-certify sila na itong pondo na ito gagamitin talaga namin para sa charity iyan. Parang ganun ho, in essence? Ms. Bayuga. Iyon po ang nakalagay sa authority. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Thank you. Eh di ganun din ho ang susunod na entry PET Christmas Allowance, ganun din ho? Ms. Bayuga. Ganun din ho. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Eto ho, may tanong ho ako. Di ba ho parang almost every Monday eh nagra-rally ho sa Supreme Court? Iyon hong pondo para diyan sa mga iyan, saan ho kinukuha iyan? Ms. Bayuga. Wala po akong alam, Sir. Mr. Hernandez. Ah, hindi niyo hohindi ho galing sa inyo. Kasi ang dalas ho nun. Tapos may mga streamer, may mga loud speaker? Mr. Cuevas. Sagot kayo nang sagot. Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po kayang sagutin po, Sir, iyon. Mr. Cuevas. Sagot nang sagot, hindi pa ako Mr. Hernandez. May isa pala akong tanong, doon ho sa RATA The Presiding Officer. Sandali lang. Ano ba naman ang kaugnayan ng Chief Justice? Mr. Cuevas. Yes. That is whatEh kayo ang sagot nang sagot. Tumingin muna kayo rito. (Addressing the Witness) The Presiding Officer. Gusto ba ninyong ma-impeach ang buong Korte Suprema? Mr. Hernandez. I will move on, Your Honor. Iyong ano pala, Mrs. Bayuga, yung RATA, hindi ba ho transportation yun? R-A-T-A, hindi ba ho yung T ho doon transportation allowance?
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Ms. Bayuga. Opo.
Mr. Hernandez. Pero si Chief Justice, di ba ho may sariling kotse na siya? May service car na ho siya sa Chief Justice? Ms. Bayuga. Meron po. Mr. Hernandez. Tapos may backup rin ho siguro iyan para sa bodyguard. May kotse rin ho iyan. Ms. Bayuga. Actually, Your Honor, yun pong TA na nakalagay dito, hindi po nila tinatanggap iyan. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ms. Bayuga. Stated lang po sa payroll pero actually ang tinatanggap lang po nila, iyon po ang representation allowance. Mr. Hernandez. I see. So wala na silang transportation? Ms. Bayuga. Wala na pong transportation allowance. Mr. Hernandez. Kasi may sarili na silang kotse? Provided? Ms. Bayuga. Provided po. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Pati gasolina ho nun, libre na ho? Ms. Bayuga. Yun pong pang-gasolina po nila, iyon pong TA nila.
Mr. Hernandez. Okay, so gasolina ho. Gasolina ho kasama, iyong kotse ho hindi, tama? Mr. Cuevas. What do you mean kotse hindi? It is too vague, Your Honor. I am sorry Iyong gasolina kasama sa allowance iyon. The Presiding Officer. Alam mo, iyongpalagay ko iyong mga kotse na assigned sa mga justices ay capital assets ng Korte Suprema iyon; under capital outlay iyon sa budget nila. Ngayon iyong mga RATA, iyan ang MOOE, ha, maintenance and other operating expenses iyan sa budgeting ng gobyerno. Then you have personnel, salaries, iyon. Kaya iyong mga representation, RATA is MOOE iyan. Iyong mga hard objects kagaya ng kotse at kung ano pa ay capital outlay iyan. Nasa libro lahat iyan ng ahensya. Pero iyong physical asset ginagamit kagaya ng desks, chairs, tables at mga air-conditioning unit, kasama na diyan ang mga bisikleta, motorsiklo, kung ano pa. Mr. Hernandez. May I proceed, Your Honor? The Presiding Officer. Yes, go ahead. Mr. Hernandez. Thank you. Ms. Bayuga, dito ho naman tayo sa Alpha List, iyong dala ho niyong Exhibits 118 to 121, nasa harapan din ba ho ninyo? Ms. Bayuga. Wala po akong copy, Sir.
Mr. Cuevas. I am just showing copies of the said documents, Your Honor, to the Witness before any question is propounded on this.
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The Presiding Officer. Proceed, proceed. Mr. Hernandez. Thank you, Your Honor. Ngayon, turning your attention to the second page of Exhibit 118 which is the 2002 Alpha List, nakita niyo po, Ms. Bayuga? Ms. Bayuga. Opo.
Mr. Hernandez. May entry ho dito, Renato Corona, salaries and otherang entry po, 340426.62, nakita niyo ba ho iyon? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
Mr. Hernandez. Bakit ho parang iba ho siya doon sa table na ginawa niyo? Doon sa table niyo, 353045, may paliwanag ho ba doon? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor, P340,425.62, ito na po iyong taxable compensation ni Chief Justice. Deducted na po dito iyong mandatory deduction. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ano ho iyong mga mandatory deduction? Ms. Bayuga. The three percent life insurance, the Medicare and the Pag-IBIG contribution. Mr. Hernandez. Pero gross pa ho ito. Wala pa hong taxes withheld ito. Ms. Bayuga. Mayroon na pong taxes withheld ito. Mr. Hernandez. So withheld na ho iyong taxes? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. So net na ho ito? Net of taxes na ho ito? Sigurado ho kayo?
Mr. Hernandez.
Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. This is the taxable compensation income of the Chief Justice. Mr. Hernandez. Yes, pero iyong 340 ho na yan, gross ho iyan kaya nga ho doon sa column sa bandang kanan Ms. Bayuga. Less 52, amount of exemption, P32,000 The Presiding Officer. Pag sinabi niya gross, ibig sabihin noon after the allowable deduction before net of tax, di ba? Mr. Hernandez. Tama na ho iyon, ano? Bawas na ho iyong deduction pero hindi pa ho iyong tax? The Presiding Officer. Gross, meaning, the amount before netting the tax that will be deducted to cover the obligation to the government. Mr. Hernandez. Tama ho yon. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. O yun. Mr. Hernandez. Dala niyo pala ho yung 2002 to 2005. Nasa inyo rin ba ho yung 2006 to 2011, yung Alpha List ho?
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Ms. Bayuga. I have now theI do not have the document.
Mr. Hernandez. Pero ho sa opisina puwede niyo ba hong dalhin kasabay na ho nung mga sample certifications next time? Ms. Bayuga. The certified xerox copy of the document. Mr. Hernandez. Oho. Puwede ho? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Thank you. Ngayon, kung nasusundan niyo ho ito hong impeachment proceedings, pinrisinta po ng Prosecution si BIR Commissioner Kim Henares. Naalala niyo po yon? Nag-testify ho siya na you can only be in an Alpha List when you have no other sources of income. Tama ho ba yon? Sangayon ho kayo duon? Mr. Cuevas. The Witness, Your Honor, is being cross-examined on the testimony of another witness, which is improper for cross-examination. The Presiding Officer. No, he is just trying to ask an information from the Witness if she knows. Mr. Cuevas. Then I will request that the question be reformed, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right, reform it. Mr. Hernandez. Kayo ho ang naghahanda nitong Alpha List ano po? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Ang mga sinasama ho diyan sa Alpha List ay mga individuals who have no other source of income. Tama ho ba yon? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi po. Lahat pong empleyado ng Supreme Court, from the Chief Justice down to the lower Mr. Hernandez. So, hindi niyo po tinutukoy kung meron silang ibang negosyo o pinagkakakitaan. Kasi ang sabi ho ni BIR Commissioner Henares, ang puwede lang hong masama sa Alpha List ay yung mga taong empleyado lang sa isang kumpanya at walang ibang source ng income. Ms. Bayuga. Lahat po isinasama namin, Your Honor. Kung meron po silang additional income, meron pong other form na ilalagay po nila dun yung income from the government at other income from the private. Mr. Hernandez. Oho. ITR ho yan, no, income tax return. Kung may other source sila, kailangan nilang mag-file nun? Ms. Bayuga. Meron po. Dapat pong mag-file sila. Mr. Hernandez. Dapat po, ano. So, dapat wala na sila sa Alpha list? Ms. Bayuga. Dapat po kasama sila. Mr. Hernandez. Kasama pa rin ho
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Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. ang pagkakaintindi niyo? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. Yun hong treatment ho niyo ng anoso, may salaries ho dito. Yan ho yung talagang suweldo. Pero ho yung mga allowances na malalaki, Monthly Expense Allowance PET, Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expense PET, hindi ba ho hindi ho kasama sa suweldo yon? Hindi ba ho suweldo ang treatment niyo ho dun? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi po namin naisasama sa gross income. Mr. Hernandez. So, wala honghindi ho nata-tax-an yung mga yon? Ms. Bayuga. It has been the usual practice of the Court since I joined the Court almost 40 years. Hindi pa po ako hepe yun na po ang kalakaran ng Supreme Court. Mr. Hernandez. So, hindi talaga ho isinasama sa anoyung salaries lang ho talaga yung nandun sa Alpha list? Ms. Bayuga. Salaries only and the year-end bonus in excess of 30,000. Mr. Hernandez. Ngayon ho yung Alpha listsige ho, palagay niyo ng hindi ho tina-tax-an yung mga allowances na yon, may entries ho dito eh. May sample ho kayo sa harapan ninyo, page 2 ho. Halimbawa, Exhibit 118 dun sa bandang gitnang kanan meron hong dalawang columns: yung sa kaliwa, non-taxable, yung kanan ho taxable. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Mr. Hernandez. So, yung kanan ho, yung taxable, nandun ho yung salaries. Di ba ho yung mga ibang kinikita ni Chief Justice, halimbawa, di ba ho dapat pinapasok po dun sa non-taxable? Ms. Bayuga. Dahil po ito po yung naka-program sa amin po, ayun po ang program at hindi naman po taxable income kaya po siguro hindi na po isinasama. Mr. Hernandez. I have no further questions, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Are you closing your cross-examination? Mr. Hernandez. I am, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Redirect? Mr. Cuevas. No redirect, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. The Witness is discharged. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you, Your Honor. Senator Sotto. Mr. President. The Presiding Officer. Yes. Senator Sotto. Before we discharge the Witness, may we recognize Senator Drilon and then Senator Recto, Mr. President?
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The Presiding Officer. Senator Drilon has the floor. Senator Drilon. Good afternoon, Ms. Bayuga. Ms. Bayuga. Good afternoon, Your Honor.
Senator Drilon. Now, you submitted before this Court this Exhibit 114 where the total compensation for ten (10) years is P21,636,781 for the Chief Justice. My question is, in 2002, the income is P1,004,451.42 per your certification? Just for the record. Ms. Bayuga. One million four thousand four hundred fifty-one pesos and forty-two centavos (P1,004,451.42), Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Yes. Now, out of that, the withholding tax was only on P353,045 as the amount appears to be on salaries. Ms. Bayuga. One hundred ten thousand three hundred eight-one point sixty (P110,381.60), Your Honor. Senator Drilon. What is one Ms. Bayuga. One hundred four thousand five hundred sixty point eighty-nine (P104,560.89), Your Honor, for the year 2002. Senator Drilon. Is the withholding tax. Ms. Bayuga. Is the withholding tax. Senator Drilon. And this withholding tax is a withheld tax on salaries. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
Senator Drilon. There was no withholding tax on the rest of the amounts appearing here in 2002. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
Senator Drilon. Now in 2003, the total compensation income is P1,594,525.04 as appearing in Exhibit 117 for the column 2003 for the Chief Justice. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
Senator Drilon. The withholding tax was only on the salary which is P485,100. Ms. Bayuga. Including the P15,425 for year-end bonus, salaries and the year-end bonus in excess of P30,000, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Did you submit any document on that? Or where is that based? Is that on an Alpha List? Ms. Bayuga. Included in the Alpha List, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Is this marked in evidence? May we know from the parties?
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In the years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, all the withholding tax would be just be basically be on the salaries? Ms. Bayuga. Based on the salaries, plus year-end bonus in excess of P30,000, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Okay. Andokayjust so we can have an example. Let us say in 2010, the total amount appearing here on Exhibit 117 for the Chief Justice is P2,882,682.38. The salary for 2010 is P650,447.23. Just for clarity, where was the income tax the withholding tax based? Ms. Bayuga. It was based on the salary, basic monthly salary, longevity pay and the year-end bonus in excess of P30,000. Senator Drilon. But the bonus was far in excess of P30,000 in 2010? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor, in excess of P30,000, it was taxable. Senator Drilon. It was taxable. In 2010, was it in excess ofHow much?P30,000? Ms. Bayuga. In excess of P30,000, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. In 2010? Ms. Bayuga. In 2010, P53,423.55 is taxable income po. Senator Drilon. Okay. But there was no withholdingwas there withholding tax on that? Ms. Bayuga. There was withholding tax. Senator Drilon. What was the total bonus again in 2010? Total? Ms. Bayuga. Total amount? Senator Drilon. Yes. Ms. Bayuga. For 2010, the year-end bonus, all in all, including the P5,000 cash gift, is P88,423.55. But the taxable income is only P53,423.55. Senator Drilon. I see. And that was included in the Alpha List? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Now, did you submit BIR reports for 2006 to 2011, the Alpha List? Ms. Bayuga. For 2011, Sir? Senator Drilon. Yes. Or rather 2006 to 2011 if it is available. Ms. Bayuga. For 2011, Sir, not yet, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Not yet because? Ms. Bayuga. It was delayed because one of our staff died last year. Senator Drilon. What about for 2006? Ms. Bayuga. We submitted
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Senator Drilon. You submitted it? Ms. Bayuga. It was duly received by the BIR. Senator Drilon. How about to the Court? Ms. Bayuga. Two thousand Senator Drilon. 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Ms. Bayuga. Up to 2010 Senator Drilon. 2010, has it been submitted to the Court? No? Ms. Bayuga. It was duly received by the BIR. Senator Drilon. Did you submit it to the Impeachment Court? Ms. Bayuga. No, Your Honor, the 2002 up to 2005 only. Senator Drilon. You did? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
Senator Drilon. Can you submit also the 2006 to the 2010 and, if 2011 is available up to 2011? Ms. Bayuga. No, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Now, can you submit it? Ms. Bayuga. The certified xerox copy? Senator Drilon. Only, yes, the certified xerox copy. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Can you submit that tomorrow? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. All right. What about 2011, it is not yet ready? Ms. Bayuga. Not yet ready, Sir. Senator Drilon. Okay. So, all of these allowances listed in Exhibit 114 from 2002 to 2010 and even 2011, were not subject to withholding tax except those year-end and cash bonus in excess of P30,000, is that correct? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Can you please speak louder? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. All right. And it was not, according to you, subject to withholding tax because they were expenses which were supposed to have been liquidated in the payroll. Hindi ba yon ang sinabi mo? Ms. Bayuga. Ever since I
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Senator Drilon. No, no. Just answer the question. They were not subject to any withholding tax, I mean, these bonuses in excess ofup to P30,000 and all of these other emoluments were not subject to withholding tax and were not reported as income because they were all reimbursable expenses as appearing in the Certification in the payroll. Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po sinabing reimbursable ang mga allowances na tinatanggap ng Supreme Court. Senator Drilon. So they are not income in your classification? Ms. Bayuga. They are income po. Senator Drilon. They are income. But they are not taxable? Ms. Bayuga. Yun po ang usual practice ng court, na lahat pong allowances na tinatanggap namin are not subject to tax. Senator Drilon. I see. Hindinot subject to tax. Now, what did thatwhen you were asked extensively on that certification, you said this Certification appearedas appearing in the payroll, hindi ba? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Do you recall exactly what appears there? Is it, The following amounts are certified to have been spent by the recipient or substantially to that effect, is that how it looks? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi po, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Ano yon? What appears there? Ms. Bayuga. The monthly allowance, then the monthly received by the recipient, then they sign the payroll, yon po ang aming nili-liquidate sa COA. Senator Drilon. There is a sheet of paper which appears like a payroll, the amounts of allowances and other emoluments appearing there are signed by the recipient and this serves as the liquidation of those amounts, ganoon po ba? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Senator Drilon. Hayun. So wala na pong resibong binibigay, basta pinipirmahan na lang doon sa payroll and that is deemed to be the liquidation? Ms. Bayuga. Opo, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. I see. Kaya hindi po sinasama yan sa income for purposes of withholding taxes, hindi po ba? Ms. Bayuga. Nadatnan ko na po na yung Senator Drilon. No, no. Yun po ang prinsipyo noon? The Presiding Officer. Sagutin mo lang yung question. Senator Drilon. Hindi po sinasama yan sa withholding tax computation dahilan sa yan ay sa inyong reglamento, sa inyong practice yan po ay expense na na-incur, hindi po income?
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The Presiding Officer. I will ask the question.
Madam Witness, yung mga hindi regular salary ay hindi sinasama sa subject to withholding tax sang-ayon sa treatment ng accounting procedure ng Korte Suprema, ganoon ba? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Hayun. Senator Drilon. So thathalimbawa lamang, looking at your Exhibit 117, for the year 2010 for the Chief Justice, the total amount of income or emolumentsI withdraw the word income emoluments is P2,882,682.38. Tama po ba yun? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
Senator Drilon. Yung withholding tax, saan binase (base)? Sa salary, P650,447.23? Ms. Bayuga. Sa salaries po, longevity pay Senator Drilon. Huh? Ms. Bayuga. Salaries... Salary?
Senator Drilon.
Ms. Bayuga. ...longevity pay... Senator Drilon. Ms. Bayuga. Longevity pay. ...year-end bonus in excess of P30,000. Year-end bonus in excess of P30,000. Alin padoon lang?
Senator Drilon. Ms. Bayuga.
Doon lang po, Your Honor.
Senator Drilon. Ah, doon lang. Doon sa iba, walang income tax na binayad, sa ibang item? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor.
Senator Drilon. So magkano lang po yung tatlong item na yan na sinabi mosalary, longevity pay, and year-end bonus and cash gift? The Presiding Officer. Habang pinag-aaralan ninyo, one minute suspension.
The trial was suspended at 3:39 p.m. At 3:44 p.m., the trial was resumed. The Presiding Officer. Trial resumed. Are you ready with the answer, Madam Witness? Senator Drilon. Madam Witness, can you now provide us with the answer? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. Yes.
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Ms. Bayuga. Seven hundred thirty-six thousand three hundred ninety-two point fifty-four (P736,392.54), the gross taxable compensation income, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. For 2010. Ms. Bayuga. For 2010. The Presiding Officer. That consists of the recurrent salary plus longevity pay plus bonus beyond P30,000. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Okay. Senator Drilon. Okay. The Presiding Officer. And that is the base of the withholding tax based on the applicable rate in the Internal Revenue Code, correct? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Senator Drilon. Now, did Chief Justice Corona file an Income Tax Return for 2010? Or did he rely only on the Alpha List as his Return? Ms. Bayuga. His name was included in the Alpha listing for 2010. But as to Other Income, I do not know, Sir. Senator Drilon. Not other income, the income beyond P736,892.54. In other words, the difference between P2,882,682.38 for 2010 as appearing in Exhibit 17 less P736,892.54, as you just reported. There was no Income Tax Return filed for this amount. Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po alam, Sir, kung in-include po niya sa Other Income. Senator Drilon. Hindi mo alam kung in-include niya sa Other Income. In other words, you do not know because you are not in possession of information whether an Income Tax Return was filed. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor, only the Alpha List. Senator Drilon. Only the Alpha List. All right. Now, since you did not consider the allowances as taxable, they are not included in the Alpha List reported to the BIR. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. And they are not included in any report to the BIR from the Supreme Court. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor, for almost 40 years. Senator Drilon. I am sorry? Ms. Bayuga. For almost 40 years since I joined the court, all allowances are not included. Senator Drilon. I see.
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Okay. I have no more questions. Just to remind the Witness that she committed to produce the documents that we have requested specifically the Alpha List from 2006 to 2011. Ms. Bayuga. 2010, Your Honor. Senator Drilon. 2010, I am sorry. Yes, if you can bring that andYes, thank you very much. The Presiding Officer. All right. Senator Sotto. Mr. President. The Presiding Officer. The Floor Leader. Senator Sotto. May we recognize Senator Recto, Trillanes and then Senator Escudero. The Presiding Officer. Senator Recto has the floor. Senator Recto. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Floor Leader. Madam Witness, I am looking at Exhibit 114, marked as 114. This should be the same document that was used for questions of you with regard to the salaries and other emoluments, fringe benefits and other allowances which totaled P21,636,000.00 of the Chief Justice from 2002 to 2011. I was looking at the items, salaries and other emoluments is one. So may listings sa ilalim noon. And then you have fringe benefits and other allowances. And then you have the third item, expense allowance. Ito iyong mga categories. Okay. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Recto. Nabanggit ninyo kanina na ang taxable na wini-withhold ninyo ay doon sa salaries and other emoluments and there are three items: salaries, longevity pay and year-end bonus and cash gift. In excess of 30 is what is taxable under the NIRC, tama ho ba iyon? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Recto. Okay. Mayroon kayo ditong fringe benefits and other allowances. Ang total lahat nito is about P3 million. Okay. Hindi ho ba sa batas, iyong P3 million na fringe benefit, hindi talaga kinakaltas sa tumatanggap noon at ang may obligasyon magbayad nito ay iyong employer at hindi ang employee? Iba iyong kaltas, iba iyong obligasyon na magbayad, fringe benefit. Are you familiar with that law, with the law ondahil dito, maliwanag, salaries kinakaltasan natin, mayroon kang withholding tax? Okay, nasa Alpha List ninyo iyan. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Senator Recto. Pero mayroon ka din ditong heading na fringe benefits and other allowances. Walang kaltas dito, maliwanag. Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Senator Recto. Base sa testimonya niya. Alam ba ninyo na ayon sa batas, na iyong fringe benefit ay binabayaran ng employer at hindi ng empleyado? Ms. Bayuga. Tuwi po kaming magbabayad ng fringe benefit, mayroon pong authority coming from the Court na hindi po stated doon na I have to deduct. No specific instruction to deduct the withholding tax for such allowances.
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Senator Recto. Correct. Ang puntos ko ay ganito. Base sa batas, iyong fringe benefit, hindi naman talaga dine-deduct sa empleyado, eh. Binabayaran ng employer. Ibig sabihin, the obligation to pay the tax for fringe benefit, whether gobyerno o pribado, is the employer and not the employee, for fringe benefits. Are you familiar with that? Ms. Bayuga. I am not familiar, Sir. Senator Recto. Okay. Ayon sa Section 33 (b) of the NIRC, Section 33 (a) of the NIRC, under Section 33(a) of the NIRC: A final tax of 32 percent effective January 1, 2000 is hereby imposed on the grossed-up of monetary value of fringe benefit furnished or granted to the employee by the employer The tax here in imposed is payable by the employer. Nakalagay sa batas. So posible, ganyan ang nangyayari sa Supreme Court in some, hindi sa lahat ha, doon sa tinatawag ninyong fringe benefit. Dahil dito sa Senado, ganoon din dito, base sa fringe benefits. Now, hindi lahat ito considered as fringe benefits. I do not know if you are an expert witness. Kayo ho ba mayroon kayong other compensation income? Ms. Bayuga. Ako po? Senator Recto. Opo. Ms. Bayuga. Katulad din po ng tinatanggap ng mga Senator Recto. Hindi. Compensation income. Court. May pribado ka bang negosyo? Ms. Bayuga. Wala po. Senator Recto. Wala. So you would not be familiar with optional standard deductions? Ms. Bayuga. I do not know. Senator Recto. Hindi na rin. Ms. Bayuga. Hindi po, Your Honor. Senator Recto. Okay. Kasi halimbawa kung sa pribado naman, mayroon kang kinitang P22 million, mayroon kang optional standard deduction of 40 percent kaagad. Samakatuwid, basta 18 percent ang gross na binayaran mong tax, of gross, at hindi na 32 percent iyon dahil may 40 percent kang OSD, compliant ka na sa Tax Code din. But you would not know that because you do not have other compensation income. Okay. So huling tanong na lang, Madam Witness. Bakit sa tingin niyo nilagay niyo dito Fringe Benefit and Other Allowances? Bakit iyon ang heading ninyo? Ms. Bayuga. Ito pong certification ay pinagawa lang po sa akin ng aking immediate chief. Senator Recto. Yes. I am sorry. Ms. Bayuga. Ito po ay pinagawa lang po sa akin ng immediate chief ko Senator Recto. Okay. Ms. Bayuga. na ito po ang dapat ilagay Salaries and Other Emoluments, Fringe Benefits and Other Allowances. Ang ibig sabihin hindi galing sa Supreme
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Senator Recto. Sa madaling salita may ibig sabihin ito, iyong Salaries and Other Emoluments. Iyong tatlong bagay dito, taxable. Iyong Fringe Benefit and Other Allowances, that is another heading. Hindi ho ba? Ms. Bayuga. Opo. Senator Recto. At sa lahat ng government officials, employees may ganito, eh. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Recto. Karamihan, hindi ho ba? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Recto. And then, mayroon kayong pangatlo, Expense Allowance na dito naman halos zero, zero, zero, zero. Palagay ko ito as Chief Justice lang, 2010 and 2011. Ito lang ang may entry, eh. Ms. Bayuga. As JBC Chairman po. Senator Recto. As JBC Chairman. Ano iyong JBC? Ms. Bayuga. Judicial and Bar Council. Senator Recto. Bar Council. Expense Allowance. So ito maliwanag kailangang ginastos niya. Expense Allowance, eh, hindi ho ba? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po alam. Senator Recto. But you would not know if he did spend it? Okay. Iyon lang po, Madam Witness. Thank you. The Presiding Officer. The Floor Leader. Senator Sotto. Senator Trillanes, Mr. President. May we recognize him, please? The Presiding Officer. Who, Senator Escudero? Senator Sotto. Senator Trillanes. The Presiding Officer. Senator Trillanes has the floor. Senator Trillanes. Thank you, Mr. President. Well, I would like to address these questions to the Chief Defense Counsel. Defense Counsel, can you help me understand why you presented this Witness? Mr. Cuevas. Well, I have stated the purpose on record, Your Honor, to show the different compensation benefits and other allowances received by the Chief Justice in order to explain at least the sources of the amounts that have gone into his income. Senator Trillanes. So how is this relevant to the case beforehand?
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Mr. Cuevas. Very relevant, Your Honor, because if the other amounts of compensation, whether by means of allowances and so on, go into the coffers of the Chief Justice, then it will explain the other alleged deficiencies brought about by the evidence of the Prosecution that he could not have acquired these amounts of properties because his income does not justify the acquisition thereof. Senator Trillanes. Okay. So in short, Mr. Defense Counsel, you are trying to prove that the bank deposits are not ill-gotten. Mr. Cuevas. No, I have not gone to thatI have not gone that far, if Your Honor please. Senator Trillanes. Mr. Defense Counsel? Well, in effect, you are actually reviving Article 2.4, is that the case,
Mr. Cuevas. Two point four, Your Honor, is in connection with illegally acquired wealth. Senator Trillanes. Yes. Mr. Cuevas. And the Prosecution had been debarred from presenting any evidence in connection therewith. Senator Trillanes. But you are actually presenting evidence to explain 2.4 or to disprove that the bank deposits are ill-gotten. That is the only purpose that I can think of in this Mr. Cuevas. Well, that is your personal assessment, if Your Honor please. But being a Defense Counsel, we have to do everything for purposes of at least explaining the position of the Chief Justice. It may not jibe with whatyour perception, Your Honor, with your postulation and articulation but decidedly we needed it because the Impeachment Court is not made up solely of one judge, Your Honor. It is a collegial court and our appeal is to the entire Court, Your Honor. Senator Trillanes. So in short, you are conceding the opinion of this Judge, is that the way I understand it, Mr. Defense Counsel? Mr. Cuevas. Conceding the opinion as to what? I hope you pardon me, Your Honor. Senator Trillanes. Okay. Well, anyway, does your Witness have any personal knowledge as to how the Chief Justice spent the money, the P22 million? Mr. Cuevas. Well, the way the testimony of the Witness has gone, Your Honor, she has nothing to do, neither is she privy to the manner by which this amount reflected in the various documents testified to by her has been spent, Your Honor. Senator Trillanes. So she has no idea whatsoever as to how much the Chief Justice actually spends every month for association dues, electric bills, grocery bills, gasoline and car maintenance bills, salaries of the household help, if any, and so on and so forth. Mr. Cuevas. That is clear from her testimony, Your Honor. Senator Trillanes. That is clear. Mr. Cuevas. I am sorry.
Senator Trillanes. Yes. So in short, for all you know the Respondent probably would be spending so much more than the P21 million stated. Mr. Cuevas. It could be, Your Honor, but that does not
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Senator Trillanes. It could be. Mr. Cuevas.
I am sorry. Akala ko tapos na po kayo. Sige po.
Senator Trillanes. Yes, please. Go ahead. Mr. Cuevas. It could be, Your Honor. But in accordance with the purpose of our offer, Your Honor, it is limited to the extraction of various amounts appearing in their salary payrolls and other documentary evidence. Lifted from there, this is the synchronized or summarization of what she has done. In other words, she has nothing to do with the grant of these amounts, she has nothing to do with the way they were spent, and she has nothing to do by way of justifying how all these matters came into existence, Your Honor. Senator Trillanes. It is very clear, Mr. Defense Counsel. Now, let us just approximate, for a somebody with the stature of the Chief Justice who has amaintaining a penthouse in the Bellagio what is that other condominium? Mr. Cuevas. No, it is not a penthouse. In fact, it is not occupied up to now, Your Honor. So our evidence will showI am sorry. Senator Trillanes. Okay. So with the stature of the Chief Justice who is maintaining a, let us say, few households, let us just put a figure that he may spending around P150,000 to P200,000 per month. And with that you multiply it by 12, he is spending around P2 million more or less per year then times 10, P21 to P22 million, so in short Mr. Cuevas. Ubos din.
Senator Trillanes. Yes. Mr. Cuevas. If Your Honor please, I do not think I can produce evidence by mere manifestation or argumentation. I am not willing, neither am I in a position, legally speaking and physically speaking, to deal on the truth, accuracy of the figures that you have mentioned, Your Honor. Senator Trillanes. Yes. So with that, I support the position of the Senate President that it is only the Chief Justice who can actually explain all of these things. Mr. Cuevas. Maybe yes, Your Honor. Senator Trillanes. Yes. Now, I would like to take this opportunity also to ask you if you have any plans to divulge the dollar accounts, as promised by the Chief Justice himself. Mr. Cuevas. Well, I have not yet concretely and positively arrived at the ultimate conclusion that we have to or we do not have to. That will depend on the progress of the proceedings and the nature of our evidence or the stages which our evidence may be. Because we are on the Defense, Your Honor. If the Prosecution has not even established a prima facie case against the Respondent, then I do not think we have to place him on the stand, Your Honor. Senator Trillanes. Yes, I understand, but I am just holding on to your word and the records would bear us out as well as the word of the Chief Justice in his media rounds that he will divulge. And if you have the Chief Justice talking, then you have to value his word. Mr. Cuevas. Oh yes, I had been informed, Your Honor, although I did not hear, maybe I was asleep or elsewhere when these alleged statements were made. But I will go on record, Your Honor, as not having stated that we will present his, what we call, foreign currency deposit. In fact, I recall
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being asked by one of the Senator-Judges, Your Honor, as to whether I can convince him to do this and do that in connection with his foreign currency deposit. And I made a statement that we are still on the brink of fighting this particular issue before the Honorable Supreme Court in a petition for certiorari and prohibition that we have filed with the said Court. Senator Trillanes. Well, you will have to understand and forgive me if I will remind you every now and then of that promise of the Chief Justice to divulge the dollar accounts. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Chairman. Senator Trillanes. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The Presiding Officer. The Floor Leader. Senator Sotto. Senator Escudero, Mr. President. The Presiding Officer. The gentleman from Sorsogon. Senator Escudero. Thank you, Mr. President. Isang katanungan po lamang sa ating Testigo ngayong hapon. Maam, noong nagpunta po dito si Commissioner Henares, sabi po niya wala daw silang record na nagbabayad kayo ng buwis via withholding tax based sa Alpha List insofar as the Justices of the Supreme Court are concerned. Pakipaliwanag po sa amin kung bakit niya nasabi yon? Ms. Bayuga. Hindi ko po masasagot ang inyong katanungan, Your Honor, but we have Senator Escudero. When we asked the Commissioner kung nagre-remit ba, nagbabayad ba ng buwis, pinakita lamang yung Alpha List for certain years pero may mga taon na wala daw po silang record, wala po silang Alpha List. Sina-submit niyo po ba ito taun-taon sa BIR? Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Escudero. Received by the BIR? Ms. Bayuga. Duly received by the BIR. Senator Escudero. Saan pong tanggapan ng BIR kung maaari pong malaman? Dahil hindi ko makita ang dahilan kung bakit hindi alam ng Commissioner yun. Sasabihin po sa amin yun. Ms. Bayuga. RDO No. 33. Senator Escudero. RDO No.which is located in Manila, I presume. Ms. Bayuga. Intramuros. Senator Escudero. In Intramuros, Manila. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Revenue District Office. Senator Escudero. Yes. The Presiding Officer. No. 33. Senator Escudero. At nire-remit niyo rin po sa pamamagitan ng pagbayad sa bangko yung wini-withhold ninyo. Nakita ko po yung record niyo, roughly P34 million total for the past eight years.
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Ms. Bayuga. Through TRA. Senator Escudero. Ano po yung TRA, maam? Ms. Bayuga. Remittance Advice. Tax Remittance Advice po.
Senator Escudero. So may pruweba po kayo na bayad yung withholding taxes na dapat due rin ho yun sa gobyerno sa mga natatanggap na suweldo at taxable income ng mga Mahistrado ng Korte Suprema. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Escudero. Can you kindly, it was requested earlier, can you kindly furnish us with the complete set dahil kulang po yata yung nabigay niyong Alpha List sa amin? 2002 to 2005 po lamang. Pakibigay po sa amin kung maaari yung balanse rin para lang Ms. Bayuga. Up to 2010, Your Honor? Senator Escudero. Kung ano po yung available. May 2011 na po ba, wala pa? Ms. Bayuga. Wala pa po, Your Honor. Senator Escudero. Up to 2010, Maam, please. Ms. Bayuga. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Cuevas. With due respect, Your Honor, if I will be allowed to say a couple of words in connection with this, Your Honor. I recall, Your Honor, when the Honorable Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Commissioner Henares, took the stand as a witness for the Prosecution, there was Exhibit Five C-7 (CCCCC-7), Your Honor. This was marked in the hearing of February 6, 2012, and this covers the taxable years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Senator Escudero. Ah yung previous years yung wala nila? Mr. Cuevas. Meaning, 20032002 to 2005? Senator Escudero. Yun po yung wala ang BIR daw. Mr. Cuevas. Correct. Senator Escudero. Tama po. So, kumpleto na po yun sa records ng Impeachment Court sa ngayon. Mr. Cuevas. Tama po. Senator Escudero. From 2002 to 2010. 2006 to 2010 galing sa BIR. Mr. Cuevas. Opo. Senator Escudero. 2002 to 2005 galing po sa kanya ngayon. Mr. Cuevas. Sa Defense, opo. Senator Escudero. Ah, kaya yun po ang lohika kung bakit 2002 to 2005 lamang ang prinesenta ninyong Alpha List.
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Mr. Cuevas. Opo. Ang amin pong purpose ay just to show that there was compliance in connection with the requirement of filing of all these things as shown by these various statements 2002 Year-End Report on Compensation for the Year 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, Your Honor. Senator Escudero. Thank you, Your Honor. Can we get the concurrence of the Secretariat, Mr. President, even at a later time, if indeed we have a complete record of the Alpha List already and the payments made by the Supreme Court insofar as salaries and emoluments that are taxableby Justices? Even at a later time para lang malaman natin kumpleto yung record natin from 2002 to 2010. Maam, nandiyan po ba? Thank you. I would like to thank the Secretariat. May I address some questions just to place everything in proper perspective? May I get confirmation from the Prosecution? I asked this before. Ang napatunayan ninyo diumano na ari-arian sa panig ninyo, ni Chief Justice Corona ay twenty-four (24). Mr. Hernandez. The number of real properties? Senator Escudero. Dalawamput apat (24) kabilang na yung anim (6) na parking lot, tama po ba? Mr. Hernandez. Tama po as far as I know. Senator Escudero. And kabilang sa ebidensiyang prinesenta ninyo yong HHH, a Deed of Sale tungkol sa isang ari-arian sa Quezon City na binenta na, ayon din sa inyo. So, ang claim lang ninyo noong prinesenta ninyo yung testigo ay yung kinita daw doon ay wala sa kanyang SALN. So, do I take it na twenty-four (24) yung kini-claim ninyong ari-arian ni Chief Justice na dapat dineklara niya sa kanyang SALN kasama, ulitin ko, yong anim (6) na parking lots, would that be accurate? Mr. Hernandez. Your Honor, I am sorry, I am not in a position at this time to make that statement. Senator Escudero. Can I ask someone who is in a position to answer, Mr. President? Because it cannot be more or less. It should either be twenty-one (21), twenty-three (23), twenty-four (24), so that we, as Senator-Judges, would know. Ano ba yung dini-disprove ngayon ng Depensa? At ano ba yung napatunayan ng Prosecution kaugnay sa kanilang alegasyon na hindi malalaman ng SALN ni Chief Justice? The Presiding Officer. Is the Prosecution in a position to answer the question of the distinguished Senator from Sorsogon? Mr. Hernandez. Your Honor, may we have like a five-minute recess, so we can check our records and give the exact data? The Presiding Officer. All right. Senator Sotto. Mr. President. Senator Escudero. Tamang-tama yong recess. Sige. Senator Sotto. Mr. President.
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The Presiding Officer. Yes.
Senator Sotto. Because of the lateness of the hour, may we move to suspend for fifteen (15) minutes instead. The Presiding Officer. Trial suspended for fifteen (15) minutes to check the record of the Prosecution. The trial was suspended at 4:10 p.m. At 4:52 p.m., the trial was resumed. The Presiding Officer. Trial resumed. The Floor Leader. Senator Sotto. Mr. President, before the break, Senator Escudero had the floor. After Senator Escudero, the Minority Leader, Sen. Alan Cayetano, wishes to be recognized also. But at this point, may we continue with Senator Escudero and the present Witness? The Presiding Officer. Senator Escudero. Before we broke off, the Prosecution was verifying the records regarding the status of the claimed assetshard assets that were not included in the SALN. Senator Escudero. Mr. President, if I may, bago po sumagot ang Kagalang-galang na Chief Prosecutor, tinatanong ko po ito para mailagay sa tamang perspektiba yung nagaganap sa harap natin ngayon. Dalawamput-apat (24) na ari-arian di umano ang nasabi noon sa akin, ewan ko ngayon kung ilan, ang pag-aari ni Chief Justice Corona subalit lima (5) lamang ang nasa SALN at ang sinusubukang patunayan ng Depensa eh hindi kanya yun. So, nagka-countdown ho kasi kami ditoang ilang Senator-Judges. Puwede ho ba malaman, ilan po ba yung napatunayan ninyo o tingin niyo napatunayan ninyo? Representative Tupas. Ginoong Pangulo, base doon sa offer of evidence na sinabmit (submit) namin at in-admit ng Impeachment Tribunal, merong The Presiding Officer. Real estate muna. Representative Tupas. Real estate lang po. Senator Escudero. Real estate lang po. Representative Tupas. Real estate. Real properties merong twenty-one (21) titles covering twenty-one (21) properties. Nasabi ko lang na twenty-four (24) dati kasi yung twenty-four (24) na yun, yung tatlo (3) doon ay parking lots na wala namang title. So naging twenty-one (21) lang ngayon at twenty-one (21) including three (3) parking lots doon sa Bellagio. Senator Escudero. So twenty-one (21) kasama na ho doon yung three (3) parking lots. Representative Tupas. Tama po. The Presiding Officer. Yun bang mga parking lots kasama sa titulo ng condo? Representative Tupas. Hiwalay po yun, Ginoong Pangulo. At sa twenty-one (21) titles na ito meron ditong tatlong (3) titulo ng tatlong (3) parking lots.
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Senator Escudero. Tatlong tituladong parking lot? Representative Tupas. Tama po. Senator Escudero. So twenty-four (24) noong una dahil nasama niyo yung tatlong (3) parking lot na walang titulo kasabay na nung titulo ng unit. Representative Tupas. Tama yun. The Presiding Officer. Pero asset din yun eh. Yung parking lot asset din yun dahil may value yun. Representative Tupas. Tama po. The Presiding Officer. Okay. Senator Escudero. Gaya ng nasabi ko, Ginoong Pangulo, sinusubukan po naming magcountdown kung tutugma yung pinepresentang ebidensya ng magkabilang panig. So twenty-one (21). Kung tatanggalin ko ho yung parking lot, labing-walo (18). Kasama po ba dito yung Exhibit HHH ninyo na nagpresenta kayo ng ebidensyang binenta na po ito? To make it Representative Tupas. Tsine-check lang po kung ano yung HHH. Kasama na po yun. The Presiding Officer. Sandali lang. Dati twenty-four (24), di ba? Representative Tupas. Tama po. The Presiding Officer. Tinanggal ninyo yung tatlo (3) dahil parking lot yun. Representative Tupas. Dahil walang titulo po yung tatlong (3) yun. The Presiding Officer. Walang titulo. So, dalawamput-isa (21). Representative Tupas. Dalawamput-isa (21). Tama po, Ginoong Pangulo. The Presiding Officer. May mga titulo yan? Representative Tupas. Tama po. The Presiding Officer. Pero yung tatlo (3) na walang titulo eh kanino yun?
Senator Escudero. If I may answer, Mr. President? The Presiding Officer. Yes. Senator Escudero. Kasama na ho yun nung Condominium Certificate of Title kung saan nakadikit yung mga parking lot na yun, kung hindi ako nagkakamali. Representative Tupas. Tama po yon. The Presiding Officer. Okay. So, yun eh one (1) asset yun involved in one title. Representative Tupas. Yes, Sir. The Presiding Officer. Okay.
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Senator Escudero. Now, may I ask, sa 21 na nabanggit niyo, tatlo dun parking lot, kasama na ba dun yung lupa sa Pansol, Quezon City, na ayon sa Exhibit HHH ninyo which is an Absolute Deed of Sale, eh, binenta na? O, nilabas niyo na ba yun sa dalawamput isa? Representative Tupas. Ayala Heights, no? Ayala Heights? Senator Escudero. Pansol. Pansol. Representative Tupas. Kasama pa po yun sa 21 properties. Senator Escudero. But in your own Exhibit HHH, Deed of Absolute Sale, binenta na ito. Representative Tupas. Nabenta na po ito noong 2010, di ba? Pinapa-check ko lang po pero ang pagkakaalam po namin dito Senator Escudero. Ang date received po sa Register of Deeds ay April 13, 2010. Representative Tupas. Correct. 2010. Pero angsinama namin yun kasi nung may mga dates na year-end na dapat kasali pa yun sa kanyangsa SALN ng Respondent Chief Justice na hindi sinali. Senator Escudero. So, kasama po sa dalawamput isa?
Representative Tupas. So, kasama sa 21. Yes. Senator Escudero. Kasama rin po sa dalawamput isa yung pito na diumano pinatunayan ni Ginoong Vicente na siya na raw ang may-ari. Representative Tupas. Kasama po. Tama. Senator Escudero. Kasama din po ba dun sa dalawamput isa yung pag-aari ni Miriam Roco na binili daw niya, in-alleged po ba yan na kasama sa dalawamput isa? Representative Tupas. Hindi po.
Senator Escudero. And kung mag-a-arithmetic ho ako nang konti para masubaybayan ko at ma-appreciate ko rin yung ginagawa ng Depensa, 21, tatlong parking lot. So, kung aalisin ko yun, 18ina-account ko lang Manong Ping18, pito so labing-isa, lima ang kini-claim ni Chief Justice na kanya. So, ang so far wala pang tangka na ipaliwanaghindi ko sinasabing tatanggapin namin o papaniwalaan naminay anim? Representative Tupas. Hindi po. Kasi Senator Escudero. Hindi. Yung lima inaamin naman niya eh.
Representative Tupas. O yung hindi inamin oyung walang tangka Senator Escudero. Ang hindi niya inaamin na lamang ay anim. Representative Tupas. Yung walang tangka pa na pagpapaliwanag. Senator Escudero. Wala pang tangkang ipaliwanag. Representative Tupas. Tama po. Senator Escudero. So, yun ang hinihintay nating gawin kung saka-sakali ng Depensa?
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Representative Tupas. Tama po yan, Ginoong Pangulo. Senator Escudero. Ngayon, sa pera naman. Sa bank accounts, para din bang makita namin kung saan papunta itong lahat ng ito. Base sa inyong teorya, magkano ba yung cash on hand ni Chief Justice kumpara sa kanyang dineklara sa kanyang SALN? Nalito ho kasi kami nang konti dun sa mga bank accounts dahil may in-open, may klinose (close). Ang isang pahayagan tinotal (total) po lahat nung amounts na lumabas, eh, hindi naman ho dapat ito-total yun dahil may nilabas, may pinasok. Sa inyong teorya po, magkano po ba yung cash on hand dapat niyang dineklara? Para makita rin po namin kung pumapantay ba yung ebidensiyang tinatangkang ipresenta ng Depensa dun sa nais nilang ipaliwanag na diperensiya. Representative Tupas. Yung during the break, ang kinompyut (compute) po namin, based dun sa Offer of Evidence, yung real property lang po at hindi namin Senator Escudero. At a later time, Mr. President. Representative Tupas. At a later time, we will submit it. Senator Escudero. Just so that we can do a matching of the allegation and the answer of both the Prosecution and the Defense that we can weigh how it has been answered thus far. Representative Tupas. Yes, but Senator Escudero. And if the Defense is still on line with respect to being on issue on Article II. Representative Tupas. Yes, but it was previously asked in the previous hearings of this Honorable Tribunal. And ang klaro lang doon, ah, 2010 ayat least yung cash, 3.5 ang sa SALN at P31.5 million yung prinisent (present) ng Prosecution na pagma-may-ari ni Chief Justice. Senator Escudero. Now Representative Tupas. Pero with respect sa othersa ibang taon po, isusumite po namin yun para mapaliwanagan lalo si Senator Escudero. Senator Escudero. As a final point, Mr. President, just for the record, in relation to the question of Senator Trillanes a while ago, it was my understanding that the ruling of the Presiding Officer and the Senate Impeachment Court in disallowing Articleevidence to be presented on Article 2.4 is that in barring it, ang assumption natin dunI do not know if it was in caucus or in plenarywas that, if it is proven by the Prosecutionalthough we said Not properly allegedthat there is income or there are assets in excess of income, the law says there is a presumption that it is ill-gotten. And therefore, the burden shifts from the Prosecution to the Defense to prove that it is not ill-gotten, in which case, the Prosecution can present during rebuttal, perhaps, evidence to prove otherwise. Kaya nga sinabi namin, sa ngayon hindi kayo puwedeng magpresenta ng ebidensiya. And I think that is the tendency of the witnesses being presented by the Defense now to try to explain and prove the sources of income. At ang hinihintay din po naming, sana dumating tayo sa puntong yun. Justice Cuevas, pinapalabas ninyo sino ang may-ari, saan galing yung pera. Ang hinihintay din po namin ay yung paliwanag kung bakit wala doon, ano yung nanduon at saan ba matatagpuan doon sa dokumentong tinatawag na SALN yung mga kanya pa at yung inaamin niyang kanya, nakapangalan man sa kanya o hindi. Darating naman po tayo doon, hindi po ba? Mr. Cuevas. Tiyak na darating po kami roon.
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Senator Escudero. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you, Congressman Tupas. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you, Senator. Representative Tupas. Thank you. The Presiding Officer. All right. All right. Proceed. The Minority Floor Leader. Senator Cayetano (A). Magandang hapon, Mr. Senate President, sa magkabilang panig. Gusto ko lang na, nakatayo na rin po si Justice Cuevas, payagan ninyo po na i-pursue ko lang po yung point ni Senator-Judge Trillanes at ni Senator-Judge Escudero. Naintindihan ko po kasi yung kahapon nyong prinesent (present) na witness tungkol po doon sa lupa sa Marikina. Kasi, halimbawa po, pina-tabulate ko sa staff ko yong properties na nasa SALN and yung properties na wala. So yung properties na wala, isa-isa ninyong pinapaliwanag or I assume naumpisahan pa lang yun kahapon kung bakit wala sa SALN. So yung kahapon, maliwanag sa akin na sinusubukan ninyong patunayan na hindi naman sa kanya yun so bakit niya ilalagay sa SALN. So yun po maliwanag sa akin yung part na yon. Pero doon po sa tanong ni Senator Trillanes, nakikita ko po yung point niya. Kasi po ang ruling ng Korte ay yung 2.2 at 2.3 ang ating nililitis. Ibig sabihin po, whether or not there was a filing ng SALN. At ayon sa Prosecution, kasama din dito whether or not accurate at tama po ang dineklara sa SALN. Pero ang sinabi po ng Korteng ito, hindi puwedeng magbigay ng ebidensiya ang Prosecution tungkol sa ill-gotten wealth. So noong pinakita ninyo po ang witness na itomagandang hapon, Maamat pinalabas na 21 or P22 million ang kinita niya in 10 years, or if I just do a simple mathematical although hindi ganoon ka-accurate, something like 2.1 or P2.2 million a year, hindi ko rin po sobrang maintindihan at this point in time o hindi ganoon kaklaro kung ano ang pinapatunayan ng Defense sapagkat tina-tabulate ko rin po ang summary ng mga pondong ipinakita ng Prosecution, assuming we will admit all of that and assuming tama po yun. For example po, let us say in the year 2009, ang SALN declaration is P2.5 million pero ang lumabas sa mga bank accounts ay P9.178501 million. Or for example po noong 2010, ang SALN declaration is P3.5 million, pero kung tama po ang addition namin, sa tatlong bank accounts P31,752,623 or yung 2009 po to be clear, P9,178,501. So by showing us that he made P2.1 million a year, how is thathow do you relate that to the point na ang pinapatunayan or dini-disprove or pino-prove dito is that mali ang pinayl (file) na SALN? Hindi naman pinapatunayan dito kung sapat ang kinita ng Chief Justice. Kasi sinabi na natin, kapag ill-gotten wealth, hindi kayo puwedeng mag-presenta ng ebidensiya. So even assuming the Chief Justice made seven, ten, P15 million this year or last year or the years before, hindi yun yung point as of now. Ang point as of now is, nadeklara ba ito sa SALN? Unless po yung pinapatunayan ninyo yung sinasabi ni Senator Escudero that because you believe that the presumption kicked in because ang naging total is P31.752 million, there is now a presumption that this is ill-gotten and you are trying to prove that it is not ill-gotten. So puwede po bang paki-klaro lang iyon. Because if you are just trying to show to the public that hindi corrupt at may pinagkunan, I understand that. But hindi naman po yon ang issue sa Korte. Now, if you are trying to prove something else sa Korte, let me give you this opportunity to clarify it to us and make the connection. So what is the connection between his income and his declaration sa SALN?
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Mr. Cuevas. Well, we will be dealing with that aspect of the litigation, Your Honor, not only through the testimony of this Witness. But then, there are other witnesses in connectionthat we will be presenting in connection with the additional income made by Senator Cayetano (A). So this is preliminary. Mr. Cuevas. Right, Your Honor. Okay. I think that is the only thing that we wanted clarified
Senator Cayetano (A). because it is
Mr. Cuevas. In other words, this is not the totality of the evidence for the Prosecution in order to establish the non-culpability of the Honorable Chief Justice, Your Honor. Senator Cayetano (A). So this is step one. Mr. Cuevas. Correct, Your Honor.
Senator Cayetano (A). But you agree with us that the issue here is the filing or non-filing of the SALN and the accuracy of the SALN. Mr. Cuevas. Well, I do not think the issue will deal on the filing or non-filing, Your Honor, because that is admitted by the evidence of both parties. You will recallif Your Honor please, you will recall that even at the start of the presentation of the evidence, the representative of the Supreme Court who brought those documents here had them marked at the instance of the Prosecution, and they are all the SALNs, Your Honor, covering period 2002 to 2010. And we also adopted it... Senator Cayetano (A). Yes. Mr. Cuevas. ...as our own evidence in order to show that it is not true that there was no compliance with the requirement of filingno, preparation and filing. Senator Cayetano (A). Yes. Mr. Cuevas. Nowyes, Your Honor. Senator Cayetano (A). You are talking about the physical filing or the presence of the SALN which we all admit... Mr. Cuevas. Correct, Your Honor. Senator Cayetano (A). ...is there. I am justthe reason I termed it as an issue, filing or non-filing because if my memory serves me right, ang paliwanag po ng Prosecution, pag hindi accurate yung filing or may mga falsities, it is tantamount to non-filing. That is whyI am not ready to make a decision on that. And I know that the Defense is saying, No, that is not the case. Mr. Cuevas. Correct. That is Senator Cayetano (A). And you read the law and 6713, and the implementing rules on that day na diniskas (discuss) natin.
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I just wanted na ibalik po yung tanong ni Senator Trillanes to make sure na ang pinag-uusapan po natin ditohindi issue whether corrupt si CJ or whether yung pera ay galing sa masama o mabuti. Ang pinag-uusapan dito, whether or not yung SALN niya ay pinayl (file) at nadeklara ba o hindi, or may paliwanag ba, in laymans term, Mr. Counsel. Mr. Cuevas. Opo, opo.
Senator Cayetano (A). Opo, I am satisfied with that. Mr. Cuevas. Yun po ang aming tatangkaing patunayan sa mga darating pang mga testigo... Senator Cayetano (A). Yes. Mr. Cuevas. ...at ebidensya ng Defense, Your Honor. As of this moment, we are notI have to confess, Your Honor, I amvery candidly at that, that we are not yet prepared to jump into conclusions, unless our basic evidence are already on record. Senator Cayetano (A). I will accept that. I just wanted to be fair to both sides. Mr. Cuevas. Yes.
Senator Cayetano (A). Dahil unfair naman sa Prosecution kung sila hindi puwede magadduce ng evidence to prove ill-gotten wealth, and then ang Defense ay puwede namang magadduce ng evidence to prove na hindi siya ill-gotten. But tama rin naman po si Senator Escudero, that as long as the amounts are over what is declared or what his incomewhat is his legitimate income, there is a presumption that kicks in. And, of course, we will give you all the latitude to dispute that presumption. But as you said a while ago, you do not even believe that the presumption already applies or that we should presume that the amounts named in the bank accounts are over and above. Mr. Cuevas. If Your Honor please, I regret very much to not be able to give my conformity to such kind of an articulation. We are of the different persuasion and we will prove to this Honorable Court thateven assuming there is discrepancy or quite a difference in the making of the return which may be considered inaccurate, Your Honor, that is not a ground, in our thinking for a Senator Cayetano (A). Yes. Mr. Cuevas. As a ground for impeachment, Your Honor. Senator Cayetano (A). Yeswe simply do not want to confuse the issues but I am more than satisfied. And I thank you, Counsel, for clarifying that. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you, Your Honor. Senator Cayetano (A). Thank you, Mr. Senate President. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you also. Senator Sotto. Mr. President, may we recognize Senator Lacson before we? The Presiding Officer. The gentleman from Cavite is recognized. Senator Lacson. Thank you, Mr. Presiding Officer.
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Ipagpahintulot po ninyo na basahin ko lang yung Konstitusyon, yungna patungkol dito sa ating pinag-uusapan, sa SectionArticle XI, Section 17. The Presiding Officer. Okay.
Senator Lacson. Ang sinasabi po rito, A public officer or employee shall, upon assumption of office and as often thereafter as may be required by law, submit a declaration under oath of his assets, liabilities and net worth. Meron pa pong karugtong, hihinto na lang po muna ako doon. Ang understanding ko po pag sinabing submit a declaration under oath, ang understanding ko po ay dapat totoo, tapat at eksakto, hindi po ba? Mr. Cuevas. Tama po. Sapagkat kung hindi ganoon, walang katuturan, walang kahulugan ang provision na yan. Senator Lacson. Kaya ko po binasa Mr. Cuevas. Kung kahit anong i-file ay okay na, eh balewala po yan sa magaspang na pangungusap. Senator Lacson. Kaya ko po binasa para magabayan na rin kayo sa pagpepresenta ng inyong depensa nang sa ganoon hindi tayo wayward. Mr. Cuevas. Salamat po. Senator Lacson. Gusto rin po naming marinig kung papaano ipapaliwanang ng nasasakdal o yung impeached officialin this case yung ating Chief Magistratedahil alam niyo po sa mga naipresenta ng Prosecution, tatapatin ko kayo, nagkaroon po ng doubt in my mind, at least, na meron talagang basehan yung Impeachment Complaint. Ngayon, ito po ay nakabitin po doon dahil gusto kong marinig yung paliwanag at puwede pong mawala yung doubt in my mind kung maganda ang inyong paliwanag o paliwanag ng inyong kliyente. Mr. Cuevas. Tama po yon. Salamat po sa inyong pagbibigay paalala sa amin. Pero kung inyo pong mamarapatin, pahintulot ninyong sabihin ko, hindi naman si Justice Cuevas ang ebidensiya, Your Honor. Senator Lacson. Hindi nga po. Mr. Cuevas. We have to call for witnesses; we have to present documentary evidence to prove our point, Your Honor. Senator Lacson. Tama po. Mr. Cuevas. Irrespective of what Justice Cuevas may be articulating here or postulating, that is nothing. Senator Lacson. Tama po yon. Mr. Cuevas. Because I do not consist of evidence, Your Honor. Senator Lacson. Pero kayo po ang Lead Counsel kaya sabi ko bayaan niyong magabayan ko kayo para tama yung ating pinag-uusapan dito. Mr. Cuevas. Salamat po. Senator Lacson. Salamat po.
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Mr. Cuevas. Thank you, thank you. The Presiding Officer. So, proceed.
Senator Sotto. Senator Estrada, Mr. President, the President Pro Tempore. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Thank you, Mr. President. Isang katanungan lang po roon sa Lead Prosecutor ng Prosecution Panel. Isang katanungan lang, Congressman Tupas. Ibabalik ko lang yung aking dating tanong noong araw tungkol doon sa mga titulo na allegedly pagmamay-ari ni Chief Justice Renato Corona. Yun pong iprinesenta ninyo sa media, yung 45 titles, ibig sabihin ba ho hindi niyo po sinuri yung iprinesenta niyo sa media na 45 properties? Sapagkat lumalabas po ngayon, ayon sa computation ni Senator Escudero, na 21 titles minus threebecause of the parking lotat yung pito ay pinatunayan na nung witness kagabi, si Mr. Vicente, eh 11 na lang ang dapat patunayan, at yung lima doon, out of the 11, ay inaangkin na ni Chief Justice Corona, so anim na lang yung patutunayan ng Depensa. Ibig bang sabihin noon, nung iprinesenta ninyo yung sulat ng LRA, ay hindi niyo nilinis yung mga pagmamay-ari ni Chief Justice Corona, basta lang ibrinodkas (broadcast) niyo sa publiko yon? Did you just make it appear that Chief Justice Corona really or truly owns those 45 properties? Representative Tupas. Yes, unang-una, Mahal na Pangulo, hindi anim na properties... Senator Ejercito Estrada. Ano po? Representative Tupas. ...yung papatunayan ngayon kasi merong 21at least 21 properties yung in-offer. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Twenty-one (21) minus threeminus three because of the parking lot, as I understand correctly. Representative Tupas. No. Actually 24 siya minus three kaya naging 21 siya. Senator Ejercito Estrada. All right. Representative Tupas. Nung nag-request po kami doon sa Land Registration Authority, at ang binigay sa amin noong araw na yon ay merong 45 properties. At may presumption of regularityang sa amin po, sa isip namin, good faith, may presumption of regularity yung official functions and acts of agency, especially po yung Land Registration Authority, na siya po yung custodian ng records. At nailagay po namin yun sa aming Motion. Actually, naalala ko it was January 13 yata nung nag-submit kami dito sathis Honorable Tribunal ng isang Motion at naattach yun. Sopero as we go along, sinuri namin yun, at after naming sinuri, 24, plus three, which is 21 properties, ang in-offer namin during the Offer of Documentary Evidence. Yun po ang nangyari, Ginoong Pangulo. Senator Ejercito Estrada. So, inaamin ninyo po ngayon, Congressman Tupas, na hindi po 45 properties ang pagmamay-ari ni Chief Justice? Representative Tupas. Hindi po 45. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Twenty-one? Representative Tupas. Twenty-one po.
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Senator Ejercito Estrada. Or even less? Representative Tupas. aming Exhibits po, 21 titles. Twenty-one po. Kasi iyon ho ang Offer of Evidence po namin sa
Senator Ejercito Estrada. Thank you. Representative Tupas. Thank you po.
The Presiding Officer. Unang-una, 45. Naging 24. Ngayon 21 na lang. Hindi ba? Representative Tupas. Twenty-one titles po. The Presiding Officer. May numero noon na 24. Representative Tupas. Yes, Sir.
The Presiding Officer. Oh, ano ang nabawas doon sa 24? Representative Tupas. Iyong 24 po, Ginoong Pangulo, dahil included doon iyong tatlong parking lots doon sa Burgundy. Pero iyong nakita namin, wala palang separate na titulo iyong parking lots na iyon kasi kasama lang doon sa Condominium Certificate of Title. The Presiding Officer. Ngayon, itong sa 21 may kasama pa rin na parking lot? Representative Tupas. Tatlo po.
The Presiding Officer. Tatlo pa rin? Representative Tupas. Yes.
The Presiding Officer. Tatlo doon sa Burgundy, tatlo Representative Tupas. Hindi po. Tatlo po sa Bellagio na lang. The Presiding Officer. Ah, sa Bellagio na lang. Representative Tupas. Iyong Burgundy hindi na namin kinount (count) iyon kasi iyong Burgundy kasama na po iyon sa Certificate of Title. Isang titulo lang sa Burgundy. The Presiding Officer. O, sige. Representative Tupas. Salamat po. The Presiding Officer. Okay. Senator Sotto. Mr. President, Senator Guingona wants to be recognized. The Presiding Officer. The gentleman from Bukidnon, TG Guingona. Senator Guingona. Thank you, Mr. President. Justice Cuevas, may tanong lang ako ano. Assuming no, we have 21 properties that the Prosecution has presented and assuming that you can explain everything. Fine, then. As far as the properties are concerned, that is fine. Then for the year, let us say, 2010, this SALN declaration of the Honorable Chief Justice has an amount of P3.5 million in the bank. But according to the calculations as presented, there is P31 million versus sa declared of P3.5. May discrepancy po. Assuming again, Sir, na maipaliwanag din iyon, ma-explain talaga, angthe thing that I would like to find out then is how come the dollar account, ano po, hindi po
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naka-declare dito sa SALN at siguro naman nakalagay sa batas, hindi po ba, na one of the exceptions sa dollar account is that the depositor gives his consent. Hindi po ba? Mr. Cuevas. That is correct, Your Honor. Senator Guingona. Hindi ba, you agreed with Senator Lacson that a SALN has to be accurate, ano po? Truthful. Mr. Cuevas. By accurate we do not mean centavo per centavo, peso per peso, Your Honor. Senator Guingona. I agree. Mr. Cuevas. Because there are cases on the point already wherein the exact amount do not tally and yet it was considered filed through mere inadvertence, simple negligence. It is not a ground for administrative case, Your Honor. Now, may I go a little further if you will allow me? Senator Guingona. Please do, Sir. Mr. Cuevas. Now there is no dispute as to several parcels of properties, Your Honor. Even in our Answer, we categorically admitted for instance the Bellagio, Makati-Boni Ridge, Burgundy and these are admitted so there is no controversy to these. We have stated it in our SALN. It is not merely stated in there. When we filed our Answer, we made a categorical admission that these properties belong to the Honorable Chief Justice Corona. Now, insofar as the dollar deposit is concerned, we have not yet gone that far, Your Honor, because Senator Guingona. Please, Sir. Go ahead please, Sir. Mr. Cuevas. Because, Your Honor, there is no necessity for revelation of this because this is covered by the exemption provided for under the foreign deposit account. Senator Guingona. Agreed, but there is no indication of its existence in the SALN. The Presiding Officer. Well, anyway Mr. Cuevas. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. I think we should wait for the reception of evidence coming from the Defense before we discuss these things. Senator Guingona. Very well, Mr. President. We will await the presentation. Thank you. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you, Your Honor. Senator Guingona. Thank you. Senator Sotto. Thank you, Mr. President. If we are finished with the witness? You are not. Mr. Hernandez. May I just make a short statement? Your Honor, earlier I had closed and terminated my cross-examination. I made a mistake. I was reminded by my co-counsel that we had requested for two (2) batches of documents. May we be allowed to conduct additional
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The Presiding Officer. You are asking permission to Mr. Hernandez. Additional cross, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. re-open the cross-examination? Mr. Hernandez. If necessary, Your Honor, when we see the documents tomorrow. The Presiding Officer. Okay. Mr. Hernandez. Thank you. Mr. Cuevas. May we know what those documents are, Your Honor? Because this is highly a sensitive issue already. The Presiding Officer. Indeed the record will show that they were asking for a document. Mr. Hernandez. Yes, sir. The Presiding Officer. I remember this. What were those documents that you Mr. Hernandez. About four (4) or five (5) samples of the certification she was mentioning. The Presiding Officer. Yes, yes. Mr. Hernandez. And also this Alpha List from 2006 to 2011. The Presiding Officer. That is correct. So, granted. Mr. Hernandez. Thank you, Your Honor. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you, Your Honor. Submitted. The Presiding Officer. All right. Next witness. Mr. Cuevas. So we cannot close the testimony of the witness, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Yes. Mr. Cuevas. Because he will have to appear tomorrow in connection with the The Presiding Officer. Subject to redirect by the Senator Sotto. Prosecution. The Presiding Officer. No, by the Mr. Cuevas. By the Defense, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. By the Defense. All right. Senator Sotto. Ah, yes. Senator Lacson wants to be recognized, Mr. President. Senator Lacson. Bago po natin pahintulutang umalis iyong Testigo, nakita na po ba iyong nawawalang dokumento? Baka may ma-contempt na naman dito.
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The Presiding Officer. Aling dokumento, iyong sulat?
Mr. Cuevas. Iyon pong sulat na acknowledgment receipt by Mrs. Corona stating to the effect that she received seven (7) TCTs covering the seven (7) parcelsThe Deed of Sale which I showed to Counsel, Attorney Justiniano, during the cross-examination being conducted by him. In fact the ano bang tawag doon? The video will show, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Was that written acknowledgment attached to the Certificate of Titles or Mr. Cuevas. No, Your Honor. Maybe The Presiding Officer. It was the second Mr. Cuevas. Correct, Your Honor. Two (2) documents. First, acknowledgment receipt by Mrs. Corona. And secondly, the Deed of Sale of the property belonging to Miriam Corona, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Was that Deed of Sale returned? Mr. Cuevas. It was not returned, Your Honor. The two (2) documents had not been returned. The Presiding Officer. Well, you better explain this. Representative Primicias-Agabas. Yes. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, we do not know about it. Nevertheless, we were trying our best to look for it. Yesterday, Attorney Justiniano is also trying to recall just in case he was able to receive it yesterday. So it was told that he received it yesterday, so we were trying to trace where is that document they are asking us now. Because yesterday, as you can see, well, if you have some cameras here, we have lots of papers here in this table yesterday. So unluckily, Sir, I used a car other than the car I used now. So I requested just in case my staff was able to get it yesterday because one of our staff was the one who took those papers and the documents yesterday. So I requested that the car come here. Sir, it is now on its way. We will try to trace out if it was included in those papers. Mr. Cuevas. But be sure the car will not get lost. Representative Primicias-Agabas. Of course, it will not. Okay. So we do not know the kind of paper you are asking us. Nevertheless, you gave us an idea. So later on, we will try to look into it. The Presiding Officer. Wait a minute. This is a matter between the Defense Counsel and the Prosecution. The Court had nothing to do with the interchange of documents or the transfer of document to one panel and its return. Representative Primicias-Agabas. Yes. Mr. President, we already asked Attorney Justiniano what is that and he did not even mark it yesterday. So with the Defense. They did not mark that paper, that document. Mr. Cuevas. Yes. We were not able to mark it yet because it was in the process of identification. And when Attorney Justiniano, our colleague, made mention about it, he asked that he be allowed to go over it. So I gave it to him and the video will show that, Your Honor. Representative Primicias-Agabas. Mr. Chairman, they already finished their direct during that time, Attorney Justiniano. Mr. Cuevas. He was cross-examining.
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Representative Primicias-Agabas. He was in his cross-examination. So we will try our best, Mr. President, to look for it. The Presiding Officer. I remember that indeed there was a request from Attorney Justiniano to look at the copies of the TCTs covering the seven (7) parcels in the name of Cristina Corona that were sold to Mr. Vicente. Then later on, the sale of another parcel of 1,700 square meters owned by Miriam Roco cropped up including the Deed of Sale. And that was also, I think, shown to the Prosecution lawyers by the Defense. The Chair distinctly remembers this scene. But the return, I did not notice that anymore. Senator Drilon. Mr. President? The Presiding Officer. Yes. Senator Drilon. Mr. President, as you correctly stated, this is a matter for the Prosecution and the Defense. The Presiding Officer. Yes. Senator Drilon. It is not a document in the possession of the Court. The Presiding Officer. Yes. Senator Drilon. This is between the two of them. So I believe, Mr. President, that the two parties settle that among themselves rather than the Senate President himself trying to figure out where this was. This is between the two parties, Sir, not with the Court. Mr. Cuevas. We have tried our level best, Your Honor. And with all humility, we should not have burdened the Court had there been no refusal. Let us say wala ang ganito and so on, so where else are we going to go? We cannot institute a separate civil action in connection with this. The Presiding Officer. That is why the Court is trying to appeal to both sides to thresh this out. You know, we are all professionals here. I am not casting any doubt on the integrity of one or the other. But the fact is, certain documents are missing. And indeed the Presiding Officer noticed and remembers the transfer of these documents from the side of the Defense to the Prosecution Panel in the course of the examination of Mr. Vicente, the Witness. So somewhere along the way, these two documents were missing and so the two sides must endeavor to look for these documents. Representative Primicias-Agabas. We will do, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Because they are material evidence in this case. Representative Primicias-Agabas. Yes, Your Honor. I just would like to manifest that this representationI do not have any idea with respect to what the Defense Counsel is saying. Nevertheless, we just learned about itthis representation when you made a manifestation a while ago, the Defense Counsel. Nevertheless, we will confer with them, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Okay. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you, thank you. The Presiding Officer. Now proceed. Next witness. The witness is discharged. The Defense may now present its next witness if you have any witness. Senator Sotto. The witness is discharged temporarily, Mr. President.
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The Presiding Officer. Yes, temporarily. Come back tomorrow at two oclock. Mr. Cuevas. We will just request, Your Honor, for one minute break. We will call the witness. The witness is in our room. The Presiding Officer. All right. Trial suspended for one minute. The trial was suspended at 5:30 p.m. At 5:37 p.m. the trial was resumed. The Presiding Officer. Trial resumed. Call your witness. Mr. Cuevas. Your Honor please, we are calling Ms. Irene Guevarra as our next witness, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Swear the witness. The Clerk of Court. Madam Witness, please raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in this Impeachment proceeding? Ms. Guevarra. I do. The Clerk of Court. So, help you God. Mr. Cuevas. May we request, Your Honor, that Atty. Joel Bodegon of the Defense panel be recognized and allowed to conduct the direct examination of the Witness? The Presiding Officer. Atty. Joel Bodegon has the floor. Mr. Cuevas. Thank you, Your Honor. The Presiding officer. Proceed. Mr. Bodegon. Thank you, Your Honor. We present this Witness for the purpose ofwell, she will testify, Your Honor, on her employment with the Senate Electoral Tribunal, the composition and the function of the Tribunal, the membership of Respondent, Chief Justice Renato Corona, in the Tribunal and the allowances and per diems that he received during the period that he was a member of the Tribunal. The Presiding Officer. I think the composition of the Electoral Tribunal, being a part of this Senate, is within its judicial notice. So, just establish the membership of the Chief Justice in that Tribunal. Mr. Bodegon. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Proceed. Mr. Bodegon. Ms. Guevarra, can you kindly state your name and other personal circumstances? Ms. Guevarra. I am Atty. Irene R. Guevarra, of legal age, and a resident of Angono, Rizal. I am presently employed with the Senate Electoral Tribunal as Secretary of the Tribunal.
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Mr. Bodegon. Thank you. May I, with the permission of the Honorable Court? The Presiding Officer. Yes, please, go ahead. Mr. Bodegon. You stated that you are an attorney, when did you become a lawyer? Ms. Guevarra. In 1981. Mr. Bodegon. From what school did you obtain your Ms. Guevarra. From the Ateneo de Manila University. Mr. Bodegon. And when did you pass the Bar? Ms. Guevarra. I took the 1981 Bar Examinations. Mr. Bodegon. And? Ms. Guevarra. And passed it. Mr. Bodegon. And you passed it? Ms. Guevarra. Yes. Mr. Bodegon. Did you place in the Top 10? Ms. Guevarra. Luckily, I did. I was Number 1 in the 1981 Bar Examinations. [Applause] Thank you. Mr. Bodegon. After you topped the Bar Examination in 1981, what employment did you obtain? Ms. Guevarra. I worked as a staff member of the office of then Associate Justice Venicio Escolin who was then my professorwho was my professor at the Ateneo. And after the 1986 Revolution, I was taken in by Chief Justice, no, then Associate Justice Marcelo B. Fernan, and I continued in his office when he became Chief Justice. And after he ran for the Vice Presidency, I transferred to the Office of Chief Justice Andres Narvasa. And after that, I was appointed Deputy Assistant Chief Attorney of the Supreme Court until I transferred to the Senate Electoral Tribunal in 1995. Mr. Bodegon. And your having transferred to the Senate Electoral Tribunal has been continuously until the present? Ms. Guevarra. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Bodegon. And what is your present position with the Tribunal? Ms. Guevarra. I am the Secretary of the Tribunal. Mr. Bodegon. Since when have you been Secretary of the Tribunal? Ms. Guevarra. Since September 19, 1995. Mr. Bodegon. Until the present? Ms. Guevarra. Until the present time.
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Mr. Bodegon. As Secretary of the Tribunal, would you kindly inform the Honorable Court what your duties are? Ms. Guevarra. As Secretary of the Tribunal, I am the head of the Secretariat. I oversee the day-to-day operation of the different services in the Secretariat. I also exercise general supervision over the services, the offices. And I keep records of the proceedings of the Tribunal. My functions are akin to a Clerk of Court of a regular Court of Justice because we are a quasi-judicial office. Mr. Bodegon. Thank you. Now, in the course of the performance of your duties as Secretary of the Tribunal, did you come to know the Respondent, Chief Justice Renato C. Corona? Ms. Guevarra. Yes, Your Honor, he became member of the Senate Electoral Tribunal and he was also my professor in the Ateneo Law School. Mr. Bodegon. How was he as a professor of law? Ms. Guevarra. Is that relevant? Mr. Bodegon. If you care to answer. Ms. Guevarra. I would rather not, if I will be excused. Mr. Bodegon. Anyway, thank you. The Presiding Officer. By the way, what courses did you take under the Chief Justice? Ms. Guevarra. Only one subject. This is Private International Law. The Presiding Officer. Conflicts of Law. Ms. Guevarra. Yes, Sir, Senate President. Mr. Bodegon. Okay. Would you kindly inform the Honorable Court the allowances and per diems that the members of the Tribunal receive? Ms. Guevarra. As a member of the Tribunal, one receives a monthlymay I just read from my I actually wrote it down because, you know, these are figures and as lawyers would say, We are not really good at figures. So they have a monthly expense allowance or a per diem in the amount of P20,000 per month. Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expense in the amount of P19,166.67 a month, and additional allowable expenses of P82,000 per month or a total of P121,166.67 monthly. The Presiding Officer. Per member of the Tribunal? Ms. Guevarra. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. How many members are there? Ms. Guevarra. There are nine (9) members. The Presiding Officer. Six (6) Senators and three (3) Justices. Ms. Guevarra. Of the Supreme Court.
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Mr. Bodegon. May I continue, Your Honor? The Presiding Officer. Yes, please. Mr. Bodegon. You mentioned that the Respondent, Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, became part of the Tribunal? Ms. Guevarra. Yes, sir. Mr. Bodegon. What position did he or positions did he occupy? Ms. Guevarra. He was designated member of the Tribunal. Mr. Bodegon. During what period was this? Ms. Guevarra. This was from February 28, 2008 to April 30, 2009. Mr. Bodegon. How long was that? Ms. Guevarra. About a period of 14 months. Mr. Bodegon. Fourteen months? Ms. Guevarra. Opo. Mr. Bodegon. And during that period, how much allowances and per diems did he receive? Ms. Guevarra. In the 14 months that the Chief Justice was member of the Tribunal, he received a total amount of P1,696,333.38. Mr. Bodegon. Now, you were subpoenaed by the Honorable Court to bring with you document evidencing the allowances, per diems and reimbursements that Respondent Chief Justice Renato C. Corona received from the Tribunal during the period of his being part of it. Do you have that document with you? Ms. Guevarra. I have a certification issued by the office dated January 5, 2012. This was signed by me. Mr. Bodegon. Yes. If Your Honor please, we tried to have this pre-marked this afternoon. Unfortunately, there was no one from the Clerk of Court to allow us to pre-mark. The Presiding Officer. Mark it now. Mr. Bodegon. And so we request that the certification produced by the Witness be marked as our Exhibit 166, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Mark it accordingly. Mr. Bodegon. In what capacity was Ms. Guevarra. I signed a certification as the Secretary of the Tribunal. This was based on the records kept by the Accounting Service accomplished in the ordinary course of business of the Tribunal. Mr. Bodegon. Okay. I invite your attentionkindly show her, kuwan, the document.
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May I invite your attention to the signature above the typewritten name Atty. Irene R. Guevarra. Whose signature is that? Ms. Guevarra. This is my signature, Sir. Mr. Bodegon. Incidentally, what positions did the Respondent, Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, occupy with the Tribunal? Ms. Guevarra. At that time, he was the third Justice-Member of the Tribunal. Mr. Bodegon. Was he ever the Chairman of the Tribunal? Ms. Guevarra. No, he did not become Chairman of the Senate Electoral Tribunal. He became Chairmanwhat I know is he became Chairman of the HRET (House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal). Mr. Bodegon. Thank you. That would be all with the Witness, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Cross-examination. Mr. Hernandez. Yes, Your Honor. May we have the document? [Counsel going over the document] With the permission of the Honorable Court. The Presiding Officer. Proceed. Mr. Hernandez. Attorney Guevarra, your Certification states that Chief Justice Corona received the amount of P280,000 for the period March 2008 to April 2009. Ms. Guevarra. Yes. Mr. Hernandez. Is this correct? Or should this be P280,000 Ms. Guevarra. Two hundred eighty thousand pesos (P280,000). Mr. Hernandez. Two hundred eighty thousand pesos (P280,000). Ms. Guevarra. Yes. For the P20,000 a monthmonthly expense allowance/per diem. Mr. Hernandez. So, you earlier testified that there were three components of the funds or the allowances and fees which Chief Justice Corona received. The first was monthly expense. Ms. Guevarra. Yes, that is correct. Mr. Hernandez. Is this an allowance or is this part of his income? Ms. Guevarra. This is considered an allowanceexpense allowance. Mr. Hernandez. Okay. So it has to be liquidated? Ms. Guevarra. I think we have the same procedure adopted by the Supreme Court as earlier explained by Mr. Hernandez. Which is thehave a certification.
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Ms. Guevarra. Certification in the payroll. If I may read it. Mr. Hernandez. Yes. Ms. Guevarra. Actually, it is just an acknowledgment of the receipt of the sum; opposite our names as monthly expense allowance incurred in the performance of our duties as members of the Senate Electoral Tribunal for the month of Mr. Hernandez. May I see that document, please? Ms. Guevarra. This is unsigned. Mr. Hernandez. For the record, Witness handed to Counsel a one-page document which is unsigned, which appears to be just a sample. Ms. Guevarra. Yes, a sample of the payroll. But this is actually the payroll for the month of March 2008 as a sample. Mr. Hernandez. So, according to this Certification, the expense was usedit was incurred in the performance of their duties as a member of the SET. Is that correct? Ms. Guevarra. Yes, that is right. Mr. Hernandez. So, it is not really income. It was used by them when they perform their functions. Is that correct? Ms. Guevarra. We did not consider them income as we did not includewe did not withhold. In fact, we did not withhold taxes from it. Mr. Hernandez. Fair enough. The second item is the EME Ms. Guevarra. Miscellaneous Mr. Hernandez. Miscellaneous Expenses. What does the first E stand for again? Ms. Guevarra. Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expenses. Mr. Hernandez. Yes. And is it the same treatment as the monthly expense? Ms. Guevarra. Yes. There is also a Certification in the payroll that states: This is to certify that expenditures to be reimbursed without the need of presenting receipts for purposes within the contemplation of Section 25 and other related Sections of Republic Act No. 9401 or similar procedures, provisions of the General Appropriations Act are necessary, lawful and correct and were incurred by reason of, and/or in the furtherance of the performance of the functions and duties of my position as Chairman or Member of the Senate Electoral Tribunal. Mr. Hernandez. May I see that document, please? Mr. Bodegon. May we request, Your Honor, that the two (2) documents now presented by the Witness be respectively marked as our Exhibits 167 and 168 for the Defense? The Presiding Officer. Mark them accordingly. Mr. Hernandez. And so as with the first item, this is also an expense, it is not part of his income, correct?
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Ms. Guevarra. Yes, Your Honor.
Mr. Hernandez. Okay. And the last entry is what you term as the additional allowance? Ms. Guevarra. This is the additional allowable expense. Again, we have the Certification: This is to certify that the additional allowable expenses being received herein are necessary, lawful and correct and incurred by reason of, and/or in the furtherance of the performance of the function and duties of my position as Chairman or Member of the Senate Electoral Tribunal. Mr. Hernandez. May I see that document again, please? Mr. Bodegon. We request, Your Honor, that the last document read by the Witness be marked as our Exhibit 169. The Presiding Officer. Mark it accordingly. Mr. Hernandez. Your Honor, for the Prosecution we are also requesting that the last three documents presented by the Witness be marked as our Exhibits Decuple P (PPPPPPPPPP) Q (QQQQQQQQQQ) and R (RRRRRRRRRR), Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Mark them accordingly. Mr. Hernandez. Thank you, Your Honor. So, Attorney Guevarra, again this is not part of his income, is that correct? Ms. Guevarra. Insofar as the SET is concerned, these areat least the two (2) items, are reimbursements for expensesthe Chairman or the Member should have expended for his office Mr. Hernandez. In relation to his duties. Ms. Guevarra. in relation to his duties Mr. Hernandez. as a member of Ms. Guevarra. as a member of the Tribunal. Mr. Hernandez. So in other words, he cannot use these expenses or these allowances for his personal use, is that correct? Ms. Guevarra. Well, under the law, that should be the case. Mr. Hernandez. We have nothing further, Your Honor. Mr. Bodegon. No redirect, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. No more questions from the cross? Mr. Hernandez. No more questions, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. How about redirect? Mr. Bodegon. No redirect, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Senator Sotto. Mr. President.
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The Presiding Officer. Yes, the Floor Leader. Senator Sotto. May we recognize Senator Pimentel? The Presiding Officer. The gentleman from Misamis Oriental. Senator Pimentel. Thank you, Mr. President. Alam ninyo po, I spent four (4) years of my life appearing before the SET. So I have personal knowledge of the professionalism of Attorney Guevarra. So gusto ko lang pong magpasalamat sa inyo publicly, no. Salamat po sa inyong professionalism na ipinakita ninyo po sa mga litigants before the Tribunal. At very objective po si Attorney Guevarra at marunong makipaglaban sa katotohanan kaya puwede pongpuwede nating gawin siyang model actually, when we decide this particular Impeachment Case before us. So salamat po, Attorney Guevarra, for the professionalism which you displayed when you handled my case. Thank you. Ms. Guevarra. Thank you very much. The Presiding Officer. Anyone else? Senator Sotto. One last, Mr. President, Senator Recto. The Presiding Officer. The gentleman from Batangas, Senator Recto. Senator Recto. Iyong nabanggit ninyong allowances, are they under the PS column or MOOE column? Ms. Guevarra. The per diemthe monthly expense allowance per diem is under the PS Senator Recto. Magkano iyon, magkano iyon? Ms. Guevarra. P20,000 a month po. Senator Recto. So that means PS for compensation for the work that you do. Ms. Guevarra. Opo. And the others are Senator Recto. PS iyon, eh. Puwede mong i-take home iyon. Puwede mong i-take home iyon,
Ms. Guevarra. Oho. Senator Recto. Okay. And the others are MOOE?
Ms. Guevarra. MOOE po. Senator Sotto. Ibig sabihin, kailangan mong gastusin?
Ms. Guevarra. Yes. Senator Recto. Para maliwanag. Ms. Guevarra. Opo. Senator Recto. Thank you.
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The Presiding Officer. Okay. The Floor Leader. Senator Sotto. We may discharge the Witness, Mr. President.
The Presiding Officer. The distinguished lady Witness is discharged. Ms. Guevarra. Thank you very much, Sir. Senator Sotto. Because, Mr. President, if the Prosecution Counsel or the Defense Counsel would ask one more question about the allowances of members of the SET, I will be constrained to cite them for contempt. [Laughter] The Presiding Officer. Another witness? Mr. Bodegon. Yes, Your Honor. May we call on Atty. Girlie Salarda of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal? The Presiding Officer. The witness mentioned may now enter the Chamber and take the witness stand and take an oath and testify. Mr. Bodegon. May we request for a one-minute break, Your Honor, for us to fetch the witness? The Presiding Officer. That is too long. Okay, one minute. Mr. Bodegon. Thank you, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. The trial is suspended. The trial was suspended at 5:58 p.m. At 6:00 p.m., the trial was resumed. The Presiding Officer. The trial is resumed. Swear the Witness. The Clerk of Court. Madam Witness, please stand up. Raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in this Impeachment proceeding? Ms. Salarda. Yes, Your Honor. The Clerk of Court. So help you God. The Presiding Officer. Attorney Bodegon. Mr. Bodegon. Yes, Your Honor. With the permission of the Honorable Court, we are presenting the Witness, Your Honor, to testify on her employment with the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, the composition and functions of that Tribunal. The Presiding Officer. Can you just stipulate on this? These are very routine matters. Mr. Bodegon. They want to conduct a lengthy cross-examination, Your Honor. We are giving them the opportunity.
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The Presiding Officer. All right. Proceed. Mr. Hernandez. No, Your Honor. We are willing to stipulate, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. What is the pleasure of the Defense? Subject to cross-examination, can you stipulate so that we can expedite the proceedings? Mr. Bodegon. Yes, Your Honor. We had subpoenaed the Witness to produce and testify before the Court on the allowances and per diems received by the Respondent, Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, when he was part of the Tribunal, both as member The Presiding Officer. Of the House of Representatives. Mr. Bodegon. Yes, Sir. House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, both as member and later as chairman, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Would you accept that? Mr. Hernandez. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Mr. Bodegon. So, may we request the Witness to present the Certification that we had asked hersubpoenaed to produce? The Presiding Officer. Just mark the material documents that she was required to produce, subject to cross-examination. Mr. Bodegon. May we request that the certification be marked as our Exhibit 170? The Presiding Officer. Mark it accordingly. Mr. Bodegon. Do you confirm that signature on that document is yours? Ms. Salarda. Yes, Sir. The Presiding Officer. The Prosecution, do you confirm the authenticity of those documents? Mr. Hernandez. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Then the authenticity of the documents is not in dispute. Mark them as exhibits. Mr. Bodegon. There is an attachment to the Certification, Your Honor, which is marked 170. We request that the attachment consisting of two (2) pages be marked as our Exhibit 170-A and 170-B. The Presiding Officer. Mark them accordingly. Now, Witness, what is the total amount of money received by the Respondent based on those documents while he was a member of the House Electoral Tribunal? Ms. Salarda. May I consult my notes, Your Honor? The Presiding Officer. Yes, proceed.
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Ms. Salarda. During his 21 months as member of the House of Representative Electoral Tribunal, he received a total of P2,504,022.92 in allowances, extraordinary miscellaneous expense and per diem. And as chairman of the Tribunal for five (5) months, he received a total of P855,784.93 or a total of P3,359,807.85, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. That includes for Personal Services? Ms. Salarda. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. And for Ms. Salarda. MOOE, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. MOOE? Ms. Salarda. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. And then what else? Ms. Salarda. Allowances, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right, allowances. Is that correct, Counsel for the Prosecution? Mr. Bodegon. For the Defense, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. For the Defense? Mr. Bodegon. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Mr. Bodegon. That would be all with the Witness, Your Honor, if they will The Presiding Officer. That is all. You have no further question? Mr. Bodegon. No more, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Direct examination is closed. Now, cross-examination. Mr. Hernandez. Yes. Just a few questions, Your Honor. Among these itemized rolls in the document you presented: Reimbursable Expenses, Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expense and per diem, which one is Personal Service? Which one is MOOE and which one is Allowance? Ms. Salarda. The per diem is from the PS or Personal Service while the Additional Allowances and the Extraordinary Miscellaneous Expense are from the MOOE, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. And so a certification is necessary for the Chief Justice to claim the Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expense, is that correct? Ms. Salarda. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Hernandez. No further questions, Your Honor.
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The Presiding Officer. No further question? No further cross? You finished your crossexamination? Mr. Hernandez. Finished, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. Any question from the Members of the Court? Senator Sotto. Mr. President, because of parliamentary courtesy, there is only one question from Senator Estrada. The Presiding Officer. The gentleman from San Juan. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Thank you, Mr. President. Ano ho ang pangalan ninyo? Di ko nakuha, eh. Ms. Salarda. Your Honor, I am Atty. Girlie I. Salarda from the HRET. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Saan ka nag-aral ng law? Ms. Salarda. From the University of Sto. Tomas, Your Honor. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Ah, UST. Hindi Ateneo? Ms. Salarda. No, Your Honor. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Hindi Ateneo? UST. Doon sa P2,504,022.92 na tinanggap ni Chief Justice during the span of five (5) months, ito ba ay kasama na nung siya ay Chairman na ng HRET, am I correct? Does that include his chairmanshipas the Chairman of the HRET? Ms. Salarda. No, Your Honor, that is only the total when he was a member of the HRET. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Okay. Ilan ba members ng HRET? Kasi sa SET, I understand there are two (2) Justicesthree (3) Justices and six (6) Senators. Duon sa HRET, ano ba ang composition ng HRET? Ms. Salarda. HRET is composed of three (3) Justices from the Supreme Court, Your Honor, and six (6) Members of the House of Representatives. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Only six (6) members and none of them in the Prosecution panel are members of the HRET? Ms. Salarda. None, Your Honor. Senator Ejercito Estrada. All right. Iyon bang tinanggap ni Chief Justice during the span of five (5) months, 21 months, iyon din ang tinatanggap ng bawat miyembro ng HRET? Ms. Salarda. Yes, Your Honor. Senator Ejercito Estrada. Ganoon din? Ms. Salarda. Opo. Senator Ejercito Estrada. So that is not taxable?
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Ms. Salarda. No, Your Honor. Senator Ejercito Estrada. All right. Thank you.
The Presiding Officer. Madam Witness, what years did the Chief Justice serve in the House Electoral Tribunal? Ms. Salarda. Based on our records, Your Honor, he served as member of the House of Representatives from January 2, 2007 to February 27, 2008 and April 30, 2009 to November 5, 2009. And he served as Chairperson of the Tribunal from November 6, 2009 to May 16, 2010, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. So how many years would that be actually? Ms. Salarda. Around three (3) years, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Three (3) years. He started in? Ms. Salarda. January 1, 2007January 2, I am sorry. The Presiding Officer. 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Ms. Salarda. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. So, four (4) actual years, but not actually 48 months because each year must be reflected in the SALN of the Chief Justice, okay? Each year. Ms. Salarda. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. All right. So it will cover four (4) SALNs? Ms. Salarda. Yes, Your Honor. The Presiding Officer. Okay. Senator Sotto. Mr. President, we may discharge the Witness. The Presiding Officer. If there are no further questions from the witness, the witness is discharged. Senator Sotto. Mr. President, I have been informed by the Defense that the other witnesses would be ready by tomorrow. The Presiding Officer. All right. Senator Sotto. So, with that, may we ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to make an announcement, Mr. President? The Presiding Officer. The Sergeant-at-Arms will now make an announcement. The Sergeant-at-Arms. Please all rise. All persons are commanded to remain in their places until the Senate President and the Senators have left the Session Hall. The Presiding Officer. The Floor Leader.
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Senator Sotto. Mr. President, there being no other business for today, I move that we adjourn until two oclock in the afternoon of Thursday, March 15, 2012. The Presiding Officer. Is there any objection? [Silence] There being none, the trial is hereby adjourned until two oclock of Thursday, March 15, 2012. The trial was adjourned at 6:11 p.m.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

Republic of the Philippines

Record of the Senate

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The Presiding Officer. whether it is monthly, quarterly. Ms. Bayuga. Opo.

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Sa purpose po noong ano

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Senator Drilon. Ms. Bayuga.

Doon lang po, Your Honor.

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I am sorry. Akala ko tapos na po kayo. Sige po.

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Senator Cayetano (A). because it is

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The Presiding Officer. Tatlo pa rin? Representative Tupas. Yes.

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