House prosecutors want ex-Sandiganbayan chief to testify in Sara Duterte impeachment trial

The House prosecution panel has asked the Senate impeachment court to order former Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje Tang as well as representatives from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to testify in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The prosecution said Tang and the two others will testify on Article 2 of the impeachment case which alleges that the Vice President accumulated unexplained wealth by non-declaration of assets in her wealth statement and failure to divest from businesses even if she was already a public official.

“The testimonies of the foregoing witnesses are material, relevant, and necessary to establish the allegations under Article 2 of the Articles of Impeachment, including those concerning unexplained wealth, false Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), and continued business interests,” the House prosecution’s request for subpoena read.

“Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang (Ret.) will testify on the legal and institutional principles governing public accountability, integrity in public office, and the mechanisms for addressing undisclosed or unexplained wealth and prohibited business interest,” the House prosecution added.

On the other hand, the House prosecution said Atty. Karen Batu of the Office of the Ombudsman will identify and authenticate relevant records maintained by the Office of the Ombudsman, including records pertaining to Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and related proceedings.

Atty. Gerard Del Rosario of the SEC, for his part, has been enlisted as a witness to will identify and authenticate relevant records of the SEC concerning corporate registrations, ownership or participation, corporate positions, and business interests.

“Their testimonies will likewise cover matters necessarily incidental and relevant thereto,” the House prosecution added.

During the House justice committee hearing on the impeachment complaints against Duterte in April, Batu confirmed that the Vice President did not declare any cash on hand or in bank in her SALN from 2019 to 2014.

“Based on the submitted SALNs, walang nakalagay na cash on hand or deposit (Based on the submitted SALNs, there was none),” Batu said. — RSJ, GMA News