THE House prosecution panel is preparing to complete its presentation under Article IV with the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag while pursuing subpoenas for financial records connected to the unexplained-wealth allegations against Vice President Sara Duterte.
House impeachment team spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said that the first two witnesses established the circumstances surrounding Duterte’s recorded statements and the NBI investigation.
“The House Prosecution Panel was able to establish the facts based on the testimonies presented by Mr. Calilung and Lotoc,” Alonto Adiong said during a press briefing at the Senate.
NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung testified on the authentication of the digital recording containing Duterte’s statements. NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc subsequently recounted the Cybercrime Division’s investigation and testified that the bureau found prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.
Alonto Adiong said the prosecution was approaching the end of Article IV, which involves Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.
“Our last witness that we will present tomorrow will be Director Matibag para masagot at matahi ang mga hanging questions na tinanong po in the previous two weeks, up to last week kay Mr. Lotoc,” Alonto Adiong said.
“Ito ang magiging finale ng Article IV: ang presentasyon ng House Prosecution Panel kay Director Matibag at ang pagbibigay niya ng information, facts surrounding the preliminary investigation conducted by the NBI,” Alonto Adiong said.
House prosecution legal spokesperson and private prosecutor Atty. Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. said senator-judges would continue questioning the parties on subpoena requests covering bank records, Bureau of Internal Revenue filings and Anti-Money Laundering Council records involving Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio.
Tolosa stressed that the prosecution was asking only for the records to be produced so both parties could examine them. Production alone would not authenticate or admit the documents, or prove the allegations.
“Ito pa lang para mabigyan ng pagkakataon na mapresinta itong mga dokumento na ito at masuri ng magkabilang panig,” Tolosa said.
He explained that a subpoena duces tecum would direct the agencies and financial institutions holding the requested documents to bring them before the impeachment court.
“Ito ay order issued by the impeachment court to compel different government agencies, as well as the banks, to submit these very important financial records,” Tolosa said.
The prosecution wants to compare Duterte’s declared assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth with her tax filings and the underlying banking records. Tolosa said the BIR filings were sworn documents submitted by the taxpayers and could be examined alongside the financial activity reflected in AMLC material.
“This was presented already by the Executive Director of the AMLC, which showed the Vice President had financial transactions amounting to around P6.7 billion. Ngayon, itatahi rin ito sa mga bank records para makita naman kung magkano talaga ang nilalaman ng mga bangko ng Vice President,” Tolosa said.
The P6.7-billion figure cited by the prosecution refers to aggregate financial transactions linked in House records to Duterte and Carpio, not a P6.7-billion bank balance.
“Dahil ang posisyon ng prosecution, as stated in the Articles of Impeachment, napakalayo ng disparity ng declared na yaman at ano ang totoong yaman,” Tolosa said.
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