Duterte defense rejects ‘dilatory’ claim, says AMLC witness cross-exam being rushed

The defense of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday rejected the prosecution’s claim that it was using delaying tactics, saying it needed adequate time to cross-examine an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) witness whose testimony involved voluminous financial records.

Defense lawyer Sheila Sison told the Senate impeachment court that the defense had been given only about an hour to question the witness after the prosecution spent the entire day conducting its direct examination.

“We cannot be rushed in cross-examining this witness, Your Honor. That will not be fair,” Sison said.

Sison was responding to prosecutor Mae Divinagracia, who had characterized an earlier request by defense counsel Mark Vinluan for more time to organize notes and prepare for cross-examination as appearing “dilatory.”

Sison took exception to the characterization, saying the defense was not seeking to delay the proceedings but was asking for a reasonable opportunity to examine the witness and the documents being used against Duterte.

“We’re not trying to delay this proceeding. On the other hand, are we also rushing? Are we also rushing this hearing?” Sison said.

“And even if the data were available before or just late last week, Your Honor, the questions propounded during the direct examination specified, targeted certain line items,” she added.

The defense lawyer noted that the witness himself had at times stopped during direct examination to review documents before answering questions. Sison said the defense was therefore entitled to take the necessary time to examine the same records before questioning the witness.

“We’re only asking for a fair and meaningful opportunity to examine on behalf of the respondent this witness because the prosecution took the entire day direct examining this witness,” she said.

Prosecution: We had the same time

Divinagracia pushed back, saying the prosecution had received the AMLC summary at the same time as the defense but still managed to prepare for the hearing.

“The time that we were given to review the documents was exact—the exact same time that we were given,” Divinagracia said.

Divinagracia also argued that Sison’s request should not be considered separately from an earlier request by Vinluan to end the proceedings for the day.

Divinagracia said it was Vinluan's earlier request to “call it a day” that prompted her to say the defense’s actions appeared dilatory. “The manifestation of Attorney Vinluan should not be taken in isolation,” she said.

The exchange came during the testimony of Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura as the prosecution presented financial records in support of its allegations of unexplained wealth against Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

The prosecution has sought to use AMLC records to establish the flow and volume of financial transactions linked to Duterte and Carpio and to compare these with their declared wealth and financial disclosures.###