P10M price cut for Chief Justice Corona voluntary, says Megaworld

MANILA, Philippines – An official of Megaworld Corp. told the impeachment court on Tuesday that they voluntarily gave Chief Justice Renato Corona a P10-million price reduction for his penthouse unit in The Bellagio, Taguig City due to “force majeure” and not for any consideration from a high-ranking government official.

Megaworld senior vice-president for marketing and sales Noli Hernandez said the penthouse sold to the Coronas was originally priced at P24 million, but “unfortunately, a typhoon struck and the unit sustained damages.”

He said they gave a nearly P5-million price reduction–from P24 million to P19.6 million–to the chief justice. Hernandez said the price reduction would have been given regardless of who the buyer was.

Hernandez added the selling price was later reduced by another P5 million, representing discounts and other factors because the Coronas were prompt payers. They paid in four installments in about a year.

Hernandez said he did not even know it was the Coronas who were buying the penthouse unit. –ABS-CBN News

EDSA not passable to light vehicles due to floods, says MMDA

A part of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in southern Metro Manila were flooded Tuesday afternoon, after rain fell on parts of Metro Manila.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said flood waters were as high as 13 inches at the corner of EDSA and Pasong Tamo Extension.

In a flood alert posted on its Twitter account, the MMDA said the corner of EDSA and Pasong Tamo Extension northbound was not passable to light vehicles.

Rain had fallen on parts of Metro Manila at noon Tuesday, with some areas having poor visibility.

But the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration maintained the rain was not due to a cyclone.

Instead, PAGASA said the rainshowers are caused by the southward surge of the Northeast Monsoon occurring over eastern sections of Northern Luzon. — KBK, GMA News

Presidential political adviser denies he was the emissary who pressured INC to talk to Cuevas

Presidential political adviser Ronald Llamas on Tuesday denied that he was the one who allegedly pressured the Iglesia Ni Cristo to ask retired Justice Serafin Cuevas to withdraw as the lead counsel of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona.

In a press statement, Llamas said no one from Malacañang talked with the INC to exert pressure on Cuevas.

“There was no emissary from the Palace — not I nor anyone else — for the simple reason that there was no pressure exerted whatsoever by Malacañang either on Justice Cuevas or the INC,” he said.

A report in The Manila Times on Tuesday named Llamas as the one who supposedly approached a spiritual minister of INC to talk to Cuevas.

Earlier, Cuevas was quoted in a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Malacañang pressured him to quit Corona’s camp in exchange for the case of sacked National Bureau of Investigation director Magtanggol Gatdula, who is an INC member.

But the retired justice, in an interview with dzBB, denied making the statement. The Inquirer, however, stood by its story.

Llamas said Cuevas supposedly initially claimed the emissary was a former student of his. Another from the Cuevas camp identified Llamas as the emissary.

“I was never a student of Cuevas, so how can I be that emissary,” he asked.

“It’s funny how the Corona propagandists are not tripping over one another with the lies they are trying to peddle to the public to divert attention from the damning pieces of evidence being unearthed against Corona,” Llamas added.

Malacañang earlier called Cuevas’ claim and retraction as diversionary tactic. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News