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The forfeiture action brought against former chief justice Renato C. Corona and his heirs was dismissed by the Sandiganbayan.

The anti-graft court dismissed the forfeiture case brought by the Office of the Ombudsman against Corona, his widow Cristina, and their three children, as well as his trustees, assignees, transferees, and successors-in-interest, in its 48-page decision written by Associate Justice Arthur O. Malabaguio and posted online on Thursday because the respondents were able to “adequately prove that their income could enable them to acquire the questioned assets.”

The Ombudsman asserted that Corona had PHP137.93 million in assets by 2010 in its forfeiture case against Corona, but only partially disclosed those assets in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN).

As a member of the Judicial and Bar Council, a member of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, and a former member of the Cabinet, Corona reported earning a total of PHP 30.36 million between 2002 and 2011.

the expropriation by the city of Manila of a piece of property valued at PHP 34.7 million from the family-owned Basa-Guidote Ent. Inc. (BGEI), and commingled personal funds from the Corona children, Ma. Carla Beatrice C. Castillo, Francis R. Corona, and Charina C. Salgado were not taken into account in the prosecution’s calculations, according to the Corona family.

The Coronas further asserted that these funds were invested in money market placements that were repeatedly rolled over to a number of long-term securities or dollar time deposits that have matured over the years and have generated sizable interest income, including during the time that Corona was in the SC.

The Sandiganbayan noted in its decision that while Corona may have been negligent in failing to properly disclose his assets in his SALN, the former chief justice, his wife, and their children have lawfully accumulated wealth through years of hard work, so these assets cannot be classified as unexplained wealth.

“While we sympathize with the Ombudsman’s hardship in constantly pursuing and retrieving illegally acquired assets or ill-gotten wealth, the pursuit should not be so pointless as to be oppressive towards anyone. After all, the Ombudsman’s responsibility extends beyond just bringing charges to guarantee that justice is done. The Ombudsman’s unrelenting pursuit to penalize a respondent with a penalty excessive for the gravity of his or her offense is unjust, the graft court said.

“The SALN is a tool for public transparency, never a tool for partisan politics.” The court stated, “The rule of law should not stand parallel to the rule of the mob. The Filipino people live, work, and prosper in a democracy.

A month before Arroyo’s term as president ended, in May 2010, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo named Corona as chief justice. The late president Benigno Aquino III, who succeeded Arroyo, publicly denounced the decision and pledged not to accept Corona’s appointment.

Corona was found guilty in May 2012 for allegedly failing to adequately disclose his assets in his SALN by the Senate acting as an impeachment court. Several well-known senators, like the late Sen. Joker Arroyo, warned against constitutional repercussions in taking legal action against Corona by claiming that the former chief justice was a victim of politics.

Corona passed away in 2016 at the age of 67 as a result of cardiac issues.

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