Prosecution drops remaining witnesses for alleged misuse of confi funds 

The House prosecution panel on Tuesday said that it would forego the presentation of the remaining 15 witnesses for Article 1 of the impeachment case, referring to the alleged misuse of confidential funds by Vice President Sara Duterte.

Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan announced this on the 23rd day of the trial.

“To date, we have already presented 10 witnesses and stipulated as to the testimony of 2 witnesses. So a total of 12 witnesses out of 27 witnesses," Kapunan said.

“After a long meeting last night and towards this morning, just before this hearing, the prosecution both public and private prosecutors, have decided today…we have decided to forego, Your Honors, not only with the witnesses subpoenaed for today, but with all the remaining 15 witnesses,” she added.

For Article 1, Kapunan said the prosecution initially intended to present a total of 27 witnesses and thousands of exhibits.

She explained that the decision was made due to the prosecution’s contention that the case “has become very clear.”

“Not a conclusion of fact and law, but a conclusion based on 4,750 documents presented and identified by the 12 witnesses---10 of whom were present in court and subjected themselves to long cross-examinations by the defense counsels, and as well to questions from the senator-jduges,” Kapunan said.

“The testimony elicited very clearly a pattern as one would see a chessboard,” she added, emphasizing the importance of Queen as a piece in the game.

Kapunan thus said the prosecution seeks to present Duterte herself as witness in her own trial.

On Tuesday, the prosecution was supposed to present Police Major Jovelyn Magay, former Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda, and Commission on Audit- Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (COA-ICFAO) Assistant Commissioner and Chief Executive Staff Bresilio Sabaldan.

Presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero then asked Kapunan if the prosecution would already rest on Article 1.

“We will be resting on this article, You Honor, with the reservation of calling two possible witnesses at the end---the Vice President herself and perhaps an amicus curiae to aide this Honorable Court on understanding the intent of the drafters of the Constitution on Articles of Impeachment, on public officers, and public accountability,” Kapunan answered.

She said this will be done at the end, once all the Articles of Impeachment are presented by the prosecution.

“To summarize, there will be no more hearings, trials, on Article 1 on misuse and misappropriations of confidential funds,” the private prosecutor said.

Escudero, for the impeachment court’s part, advised the prosecution not to rest yet on Article 1, until it is decided whether or not additional witnesses will be called.

On Monday, the prosecution said they will present in advance Article 2 of the impeachment case, which refers to the alleged unexplained wealth of the Vice President.

House lead prosecutor and Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro, however, emphasized that the prosecution is not waiving the presentation of evidence for the bribery charge under Article 3 of the impeachment case. — RSJ, GMA News