PROSECUTION spokesman and impeachment adviser Ace Barbers has slammed defense counsel Mark Vinluan for his line of questioning of prosecution witness lawyer Ronel Buenaventura of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Barbers told a post-trial news briefing on Monday that Vinluan’s cross-examination of Buenaventura, executive director of the AMLC secretariat, amounted to a veiled threat to the AMLC official and to the media.
“Clearly, yung pagtatanong sa cross is considered to be a sort of a veiled threat against the AMLC executive director, atsaka siyempre nabanggit niya dito yung media,” he said.
In his cross-examination, Vinluan called attention to the punitive provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, which he said applies not only to AMLC officials and employees but also to media practitioners writing about AMLC records and data illegally disclosed.
He cited penalties for violations of AMLA’s confidentiality provisions, including imprisonment and a fine, with additional disqualification from public office for an offending public official or employee.
Barbers said Vinluan’s questioning could be intended to suppress information coming from AMLC.
“So malinaw yung pananakot para siguro hindi maipalabas kung ano man ang mga informasyon na hawak o nasa loob ng mandato ng Anti-Money Laundering Council,” he said.
“And if you have observed yung pagtatanong kay Executive Director Buenaventura, let me remind the members of the defense, hindi naman si Executive Director Buenaventura is on trial dito,” he said.
He accused the defense of not doing its homework, citing the impeachment court’s rejection of its motion to exclude Buenaventura’s testimony on confidentiality grounds.
“So I guess itong defense is not doing their homework. Remember this has already been repeatedly ruled by no less than the presiding officer na walang issue tungkol dito sa confidentiality,” he said.
Barbers suggested that the defense raise the issue in the proper forum.
“If they have any issues regarding breach of confidentiality or laws that have been violated by the AMLC executive director, this is not the proper court or proper forum. They should do it. They should file charges against him kung meron silang nakikita,” he said.
He said what is important in the trial is for the truth to come out.
“Ang importante dito sa ating paglilitis ay inilalabas natin ang katotohanan na sinusuportahan ng dokumento o ng datos. At ang datos ay hindi magsisinungaling. This is a classic example of letting the evidence speak,” he stressed.
metrosundaily
