MANILA, Philippines – After Chief Justice Renato Corona
reiterated his vow to open for scrutiny his dollar accounts, Senator
Franklin M. Drilon has called on the Supreme Court to lift the temporary
restraining order it earlier issued on the Senate’s subpoena on those
accounts.
In a series of media interviews last week—an apparent
roadshow to explain himself on the eve of resumption of trial at the
impeachment court on March 12---Corona said that he was willing to open
all his bank accounts, including his foreign currency deposits, when
senator-judges are convened again.
“The TRO preventing the opening of dollar accounts of the
Chief Justice has, in effect, become moot and academic since Corona said
he was willing to divulge his dollar accounts,” explained Drilon.
“Kung yung may-ari nga ng account ay handang ipakita
yung kanyang bank accounts, kasama ang dollar deposits, bakit pa
kailangang pigilan ito ng Supreme Court [It doesn’t make sense for
the SC to stop the revelation of the dollar deposits when the account
owner himself professes willingness to show them],” said Drilon.
The TRO was issued in a vote of 8-5 favoring the petition
of Philippine Savings Bank, through its president Pascual Garcia III,
who opted to testify at the impeachment court only on local currency
deposits of Corona and not on the dollar accounts.
With Corona’s supposed willingness, Drilon said opening
his dollar accounts will no longer violate Republic Act 6426, the law
that protects foreign currency deposits in the country, when the Senate,
sitting as an impeachment court, asks for it when session resumes.
“The bone of contention before was that the opening of his
dollar accounts would violate the provision of RA 6426, but now, with
the recent development, it appears to me that no provision would be
violated in case the Senate inquires on his dollar accounts,” said
Drilon.
