17/06/2025
do not forget
We need to remember, because she is doing it again.
Risa Hontiveros was among the prominent figures—including Jun Lozada and Leah Navarro—who formally filed a complaint before the Ombudsman, which subsequently led to the House of Representatives impeaching Corona .
In May 2012, Hontiveros took the stand early in the trial, presenting herself as a hostile witness for the defense. She clarified that her complaint was based on publicly available evidence—particularly regarding Corona’s undisclosed peso and dollar bank accounts—and that the allegations did not mention a specific $10 million figure .
She underscored that civil-society figures like herself were compelled to act “for the sake of so called accountability,” urging a thorough probe into Corona’s assets .
Corona was eventually convicted by the Senate on May 29, 2012, making Hontiveros’s contributions significant in the process.
Although Corona passed away in April 2016, separate legal proceedings continued concerning alleged unexplained wealth and undeclared assets.
In July 2022, the Sandiganbayan (the anti-graft court) dismissed forfeiture cases against him and his heirs. The court ruled that assets not listed in his SALN weren’t necessarily “unexplained wealth” and could be justified based on his legitimate earnings .
The court noted these assets were adequately proven as acquired through legitimate means—prior to and during his Supreme Court tenure—and the incomplete SALN entries indicated, at most, simple negligence, not criminal wrongdoing .
This ruling was made final and executory on January 30, 2023.