On the Crucial Vote in Tomorrow’s Senate Caucus

Tomorrow, Tuesday. 6 March 2012, the Senate will be at a crossroads. Before it is the choice of whether it will vote for the truth, and declare the admissibility of bank documents, or whether it will strike a blow against transparency and accountability.

There are those who believe that their campaign to sidetrack the impeachment against Chief Justice Renato Corona, by subjecting the proceedings to a blizzard of technicalities and objections, will succeed. “The daily distractions provided by CJ Corona defenders aim to obfuscate the truth. More importance should be placed on what was uncovered, not on how it was discovered. What is clear is that CJ Corona did not submit a truthful SALN, the evidence proves that,” says BnW Executive Director Leah Navarro.

The Black and White Movement express our faith and confidence in the Senate as a body fully aware of its heavy duty of proving that impeachment will work not only as an instrument of accountability, but as a credible deterrent to wrongdoing by high officials, as well. - END

Handog ng Pilipino Sa Mundo: EDSA People Power

Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo

Words and Music: Jim Paredes

Original Video: Mike de Leon

Recorded March 1986

Performed by:

Apo Hiking Society

Celeste Legaspi

Coritha and Eric

Edru Abraham

Gretchen Barretto

Inang Lahi

Ivy Violan

Joseph Olfindo

Kuh Ledesma

Leah Navarro

Lester Demetillo

Noel Trinidad

Subas Herrero

Ilabas ang Katotohanan

The discrepancies of the Chief Justice

For Immediate Release

The Black & White Movement

Contact: blacknwhitemovement@gmail.com

9 February 2012

Yesterday and today, the glaring discrepancies between what the Chief Justice declared under oath in his SALN, and what bank records subpoenaed by the Senate says, was revealed.

BPI account testimony for 2007 reported 5,069,711.18 as the balance. For 2007, in Renato Corona’s SALN, the cash position reported under oath was 2.5 million pesos.

For 2010, testimony on a BPI checking account showed a balance of 12,024,067.70. Yesterday, testimony on the PSBank account of Corona showed a balance of 19.7 million. And yet, the 2010 SALN of Corona said, under oath, his cash balance was 3.5 million pesos.

PSBank President Garcia in his testimony today already revealed the existence of dollar deposit accounts. The enormous discrepancies already revealed in peso accounts of Renato Corona, indicates all the more, the need to inquire into the dollar-denominated deposits of the Chief Justice.

The defense is veering towards the Jose Pidal spin: that there is money, but it is not the Chief Justice’s money. And where the documents would tend to disprove that bald-faced lie, the defense has set out to suppress the evidence.

Mr. Corona, prove that you have nothing to hide

For Immediate Release

Contact: blacknwhitemovement@gmail.com
6 February 2012

Code of Judicial Conduct, Rule 5.08 - A judge shall make full financial disclosure as required by law.

“Malaking kasinungalingan itong ginawa nilang ito. Ang sa atin ay lima po lamang. Lima.” – CJ Corona referring to properties he owns.

Chief Justice Renato Corona is being accused of not truthfully disclosing his assets in his SALN. The prosecution has successfully pointed out that he actually owns 24 properties. How does a Chief Justice amass so many properties if he has no other means save for his and his wife’s government salaries?

The tedium has not been caused by the prosecution. Mr. Corona’s defense lawyers have been delaying the trial through circuitous objections and motions, the latest being strenuous protest against the prosecution’s motion to subpoena their client’s bank records.

The Black and White Movement challenges Mr. Corona to authorize the impeachment court to give the prosecution access to his bank records to avoid being accused of willful non-disclosure. Doing this would not only speed up the pace, it will allow Mr. Corona to live up to his word.

BnW Executive Director Leah Navarro said, “Kung wala siyang tinatago, pabayaan niya ang mga bangko na ilabas ang accounts niya kung meron man. Mr. Corona has claimed that he has nothing to hide. This would be a good time to put his money where his mouth is.” -- END

BnW Decries Calls for Drilon to Inhibit

The Black and White Movement decries the near daily whining of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s defense team. The prosecution claims that it may take a couple of months for it to lay out all the evidence against CJ Corona – at the rate the defense keeps objecting, desperately trying to obfuscate the truth, it may take much, much longer.

The Corona defense team’s tack seems to deny, derail and delay, and it’s latest target is Senator Franklin Drilon. It claims that he is biased towards the prosecution because of the tenor of his questions and should therefore recuse himself. Really? Is getting to the truth on behalf of the people so distasteful?

Contrary to the defense’s opinion, the Black and White Movement believes that Senator Drilon, along with his fellow Senator Judges are just doing what they should be doing – making sure that everything hidden is brought to light. We believe that our Senator Judges are working on the people’s behalf. It is within their purview to ask probing questions, to clarify what is unclear, to make sure they, as judges, understand what both sides bring to the table.

We are against the inhibition of Senator Drilon, and any other Senator Judge, from this impeachment trial. For any of them to recuse themsleves would be a disservice to their office and a failure to keep the public’s interests above all others.