HOUSE impeachment prosecutor Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon on Saturday said bank lawyers and officials called by Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s defense could not change the balances reflected in official bank statements presented during her impeachment trial.
Ridon said the contents of bank records would remain the same regardless of whether the defense called bank managers, branch officials or lawyers to testify.
“Ang mahalaga pong kailangan pong masapol dito, whether ang ipatawag po ay bank manager, branch manager, bank official or bank lawyer, hindi po nagbabago ’yung laman ng bank account,” Ridon said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.
“Ibig sabihin kung ang 100 million ang laman po noon, kung 50 million ang laman po noon, kung 100 pesos ang laman po noon, ’yun pa rin po ’yun,” he added.
Ridon was asked why several bank representatives on the defense’s witness list were identified as lawyers.
He said their expected testimony might concern correspondence sent by lawyers representing Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, requesting information about their bank accounts.
“Kasi I think they were raising ’yun pong mga preliminary correspondence, mga sulat na ginawa po ng mga abogado ng mag-asawang Duterte-Carpio sa mga bangko na humihingi po ng mga detalye tungkol po sa mga bank accounts po nila,” Ridon said.
He said the House prosecution would allow the defense to present those witnesses and question them when necessary.
“Kung gusto nilang patawag po ’yung mga abogado ng mga bangko, we will let them do it and we will cross-examine these lawyers anyway,” Ridon said.
Ridon stressed that official account statements, rather than conflicting descriptions by witnesses, would establish the balances recorded by the banks.
“Kasi nga ang mapagpasya na dokumento, ’yun pong statement sa account na nakatala po roon doon sa mga bangko po na pinag-usapan po natin,” he said.
The House prosecution has presented bank records and other financial documents in support of Article II, the remaining impeachment charge involving alleged unexplained wealth.
The Senate impeachment court has admitted key financial records into evidence, although their significance and the conclusions drawn from them remain contested.
Duterte’s defense will begin presenting evidence Monday, Nov. 9.
metrosundaily
