The ten-million peso problem: Will Senator-judges allow opening of bank accounts of CJ Corona?

Of course, personal bank accounts are very private and account numbers, transaction records, and even balances should not be made known to anyone else, as they may subject the owner to unnecessary threats or dangers from criminals.

But bank secrecy laws do not normally apply to litigation cases! And we do have a case here. It sounds like a fishing expedition to the defense panel, but take note that CJ Corona won a 1 million peso raffle, and the stunning costs of his real estate investments, should be backed up by bank records.

But this is also a damn it if there is small cash entries/balance and damn it if there is a big cash entries/balance in his accounts.

It the accounts listed are small, then Corona is guilty of graft for accumulating more than what he can afford. If the accounts listed are too large, then Corona is guilty of non-disclosure of assets. Either way he is fried in the oil of his own words:

The fact remains that at the heart of our sovereign mandate is the people’s trust in the courts. The people’s trust, however, is not confined to physical infrastructure. Improving human infrastructure is essential in maintaining integrity which in the final analysis gives us the right to judge. Hence, corruption in the judiciary, whether real or perceived, is particularly insidious and reprehensible.


A corrupt judiciary is totally unacceptable as it severely handicaps the legal and institutional mechanism designed to curb abuses in government. As such we shall continuously cleanse the court’s ranks by strengthening the integrity of the judiciary and raising it to the highest level possible. I believe that a member of the judiciary who is found guilty of dishonesty should not only be dismissed from the service but also disbarred. No ifs, no buts.


The ten-million peso in the title is an allusion to the cost incurred for holding the trial. Hope it is worth it, and the Senate, Congress, and judges/lawyers will learn much from this trial.