MANILA, Philippines — The claim of former police officer Radulfo Gracioso Jr. that he delivered suitcases full of money to Vice President Sara Duterte could be included in the presentation of the case during her impeachment trial, the House prosecution team said on Monday.
Gracioso, a former security officer of Lord Allan Velasco, claimed that upon the orders of the former House speaker, he delivered suitcases containing cash to Duterte and members of her family including former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Prosecution adviser and former Surigao del Norte congressman Robert Ace Barbers said the ex-policeman’s sworn testimony could be included in their presentation of Article II touching on the supposed unexplained wealth of the vice president, but only if it would be backed by corroborative evidence.
“Let’s wait for the conclusion of the investigation being conducted by the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation),” Barbers said.
“The NBI is currently determining whether there is sufficient evidence to substantiate the testimony provided by Mr. Gracioso. They are checking if there is evidence to back up the statement he gave to the National Bureau of Investigation; if Mr. Gracioso’s claims prove to be true, they could be considered as evidence regarding this article,” he added.
House prosecutor and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said they are looking at the matter with caution as they were “surprised” by the timing of Gracioso’s testimony.
“We will first study the affidavit he submitted. We will authenticate his photographs and evidence. We will examine the corroborative evidence he provided to assess the weight of his testimony. In short, we cannot simply dismiss or disregard this. However, if we do consider it, we will do so with caution,” he added.
Duterte has denied knowing Gracioso or receiving money from him.
