Basa siblings dispute Corona’s testimony on deceased father

Cousins-in-law of Chief Justice Renato Corona on Wednesday disputed the chief magistrate’s testimony that their deceased father, Jose Maria Basa III, caused the long-running disputes within their family.   Carmen Basa, cousin of Corona’s wife Cristina, said Corona “maligned” and “slandered” the name of her dead father in Tuesday’s session of his own impeachment trial on Tuesday.   Carmen Basa’s father is the brother of Mrs. Corona’s mother, Asuncion.   “To hear the chief justice was one of the most painful moments in our lives. Our father was an honorable man who strongly believed in the justice system,” Basa said in a press briefing.   She also maintained that Mrs. Corona was the one who “stole the company from its legitimate owners.”   Corona testified in his impeachment trial Tuesday to rebut the impeachment charges against him. Lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas said he still wanted to conduct direct examination when Corona suddenly  left the Senate session hall after delivering a three-hour opening statement.   The chief justice is confined at The Medical City in Pasig where doctors are monitoring his health to examine him for a possible heart attack following his supposed episode of hypoglycemia, or low sugar level after he rose from the witness stand.   SALN link to the Basa family   The Basa family feud came to public attention during Corona’s impeachment trial after the chief justice declared a P11-million loan from the Basa Guidote Enterprises Inc (BGEI) in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).   Also during the trial, former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza testified that the city’s government purchased a BGEI land for P34.7 million. The defense claimed that the amount was deposited in Corona’s bank account and was not reflected in his SALN because it was owned by the BGEI.   ‘Not jobless’    The Basa siblings belied Corona’s statements that her deceased father was a “spoiled brat” who never had a job.   “Nakakapagtaka nga kung bakit sinasabi niya na walang trabaho ang father ko. He’s a farmer, that’s a job,” Ana Basa, another cousin-in-law of Corona, said during the same press briefing.   The Basas likewise said that the disputed land in Libis, Quezon City was given by their grandmother to their father as a graduation gift, contrary to the chief justice’s claim that Basa III single-handedly transferred the property to his name.   Despite all these, the siblings said they hope for “closure” to the family feud.   “Our family has been going through this stressful and difficult time for almost 30 years. We want this to end and we will not allow this to be passed on to future generations. I don’t want my kids to deal with this,” Carmen said.   She added that they are leaving it to the Senate impeachment court to decide the chief justice’s fate. — ELR/HS, GMA News