Prosecution names first witnesses in Sara wealth probe

The House prosecution panel had officially submitted its list of its intended witnesses in the coming week when it will begin presentation on the alleged unexplained wealth of Vice President Sara Duterte, a lawmaker said.

Public prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon confirmed the development in a press conference Thursday, days after the panel decided to cut off its remaining 15 witnesses pertaining to the alleged confidential fund misuse of Duterte.

The personalities named in their request for subpoenas were retired Sandiganbayan presiding justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, Ombudsman Records Division Officer-in-Charge Atty. Karen Batu, and Securities and Exchange Commission official Atty. Gerardo Del Rosario.

“We had submitted already our request to subpoena these three personalities for next week. So we will wait for the order so they can be subpoenaed,” Ridon said.

The lawmaker noted that the officials were meant to testify on matters related to their respective fields as Cabotaje-Tang was slated to testify concerning principles related to the accountability and integrity of public officials.

Batu, on the other hand, is expected to present documents on the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of the Vice President while Del Rosario was meant to tackle information concerning the various companies allegedly related to Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio.

Notably, the documents pertaining to the SALN of Duterte and companies related to her were matters discussed during the hearings conducted under the House Committee on Justice in its clarificatory hearings concerning the impeachment.

Ridon said that they were still in the process of accomplishing the marking of 1,800 financial documents from the joint accounts of the Duterte-Carpio couple, including their tax records from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

“Hopefully by Monday, we are fully prepared with our documentary evidence and presentation of witnesses,” he expressed.

‘Trillanes is coming’

In a separate press conference on Wednesday, 9 September, the prosecution panel disclosed that they had 25 potential witnesses to testify on Article II, including officials from various government agencies.

Among the anticipated witnesses is former Senator Antonio Trillanes, who also appeared during the Justice panel’s determination of probable cause on the impeachment complaints filed against Duterte.

There, he presented his lengthy judicial affidavit which contained his own set of records pertaining to the wealth of the Duterte kin, some of which were cross-checked and verified through the reports of the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

“I don’t want to get ahead of the team on who and the order of its presentation of witnesses, but Trillanes is coming,” House Deputy Speaker Rep. Paolo Ortega quipped.

Ortega expressed belief that the former senator’s testimony would be important to the proceedings, even going as far as describing Trillanes’ appearance as “explosive” and “exciting.”

“So again, this will be explosive, this will be exciting, and let us continue to watch the impeachment trial,” the House leader said.

Aside from Trillanes, another public official that prosecutors may potentially call to the witness stand is Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.

Finish presentation in October

Even with the numerous witnesses slated for Article II, Ridon who co-leads the article on unexplained wealth with Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno said that they were anticipating the presentation on unexplained wealth by the first or second week of October.

Similar to their approach to previous articles, the representative from Bicol Saro partylist said that they may cut witnesses if they felt “satisfied” with the testimony of their initial witnesses.

“If we are satisfied with the testimony of the initial set of witnesses, we do not necessarily need to force, for example, the presentation of other witnesses,” he said.

With prosecutors finishing their presentation on Duterte’s alleged grave threats and misuse of confidential funds, the panel shifts its attention to the two remaining articles—unexplained wealth and bribery.

Prosecutors have previously floated the idea of dropping its bribery case, believing that the evidence it had presented on the first two articles were strong enough to warrant Duterte’s impeachment.

Lead public prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro told the impeachment court on Monday, 7 September, that they planned to retain the bribery case, intending to present it last.

“Only that unexplained wealth will be advanced, and it will be followed, and we’ll end on bribery,” Luistro answered when questioned on the matter by impeachment presiding officer Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.