Renato Corona must be one very lucky guy. First (in the order in which the public got to know about it) GloriaMacapagal-Arroyo sneaked him into the highest post in the country’s highest court well past the day and hour when the Constitution allows an outgoing president to make such appointments. Then the University of Santo Tomas thrust into his hands a doctoral diploma—after setting aside its own centuries(?)-old rule requiring candidates to write and publish a dissertation—with the highest Latin honors to boot, again ignoring another rule that no doctoral student can graduate with honors unless he or she completes all the requirements for the degree within a period of seven years. Now it appears that Corona got to own not one, not two, but three condominium units in places catering to the very rich in Taguig and Makati, plus a house and lot somewhere in Quezon City—all during the last few years, according to some members of the House of Representativeswho are part of the prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of the Chief Justice
There are very few details known so far about the house and lot and two of the condominium units, except that one unit is located in Makati and the other is in Bonifacio Ridge, an upscale condominium overlooking the Manila Golf Course in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig. But what is known about Corona’s third condo unit also in BGC is enough to raise eyebrows as well as some very interesting questions. Documents released to the media by the prosecution panel showed that Corona and his wife acquired for P14.51 million a 303.5-square meter penthouse suite and three parking slots at the posh The Bellagio in December 2009. Its developer describes The Bellagio as “a stylish home nestled at the edge of the majestic Manila Golf Course.” Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., head of the prosecution panel, said they suspect that this property was not reported in Corona’s statement of assets, liability and net worth (SALN) and that its price was “beyond his income as a public official.”
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