Prosecution stands ready to question Lachica if necessary

The House prosecution team is not afraid of Colonel Raymund Lachica’s possible testimony before the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

House prosecution panel spokesperson and private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa, Jr. as well as lead prosecutor Representative Gerville Luistro of Batangas made the position on the same day that Lachica, the former security officer of the OVP, said he will never refuse to testify before the impeachment trial of the Vice President.

Tolosa noted that while the prosecution is not required to list Lachica as its witness, the prosecution is ready to cross-examine if the defense brings him in as a witness.

“Ang tanong, takot ba kami na umupo sa witness stand si Lachica? Definitely not. Kung ipapatawag nila, go ahead and we're ready to cross-examine him,” Tolosa said.

(Are we afraid of Lachica taking the witness stand? Definitely not. If they will call on him, go ahead and we're ready to cross-examine him.)

Tolosa reiterated the prosecution team's stand that they will only present witnesses who are absolutely necessary to prove the impeachment case, and Lachica does not necessarily fall into that category.

“Will having Lachica as a hostile witness be strategic for us? Do we need him as hostile witnesses when we already presented witnesses such as Ms. [Gina] Acosta, who said she withdrew the confidential fund in cash and gave it to Lachica upon the directions of the Vice President, and COA [Commission on Audit] auditors saying that such action is prohibited?” Tolosa said.

“If they [defense team] see the need to call him to explain this matters on confidential fund spending, then they can do it [call Lachica as witness] and we will be prepared to cross examine him. Because at the end of the day, is it absolutely necessary for us to call him as our witness to meet our essential evidentiary targets?” he added.

Luistro, for her part, said the witnesses should be limited to those who can testify on the allegations stated in the Articles of Impeachment, and that does not include Lachica.

“I am always guided by the allegations in the Articles of Impeachment because these are what we need to prove. Article 1 alleges misuse, misappropriation, irregular liquidation of confidential fund. I don’t think there is a need to present Colonel Lachica,” she said.

“But again, that is personal. We will have to wait for the official position of the entire prosecution team,” she added.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero, as well as Senator-judges Tito Sotto and Bam Aquino earlier said it would not hurt having Lachica as a witness, so he could clarify how the P500 million worth of OVP confidential funds were spent. The funds were given to him for disbursement even though he is not a special disbursing officer mandated to do so under 2015 confidential fund use guidelines. — BM, GMA News