THE prosecution will advance the presentation of Article II involving allegations of unexplained wealth against Vice President Sara Duterte after completing its evidence on the alleged misuse of confidential funds, lead House Prosecutor Gerville Luistro said Monday.
During the 22nd day of Duterte’s impeachment trial, Luistro also clarified that the prosecution is not waiving the presentation of evidence for Article III or the alleged bribery, which will be the last article presented.
The prosecution recently received bank and tax records involving Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, which are expected to form part of its evidence for the unexplained wealth article.
Meanwhile, Luistro said the prosecution will not present Duterte’s security officers Col. Raymund Lachica and Col. Dennis Nolasco during the impeachment trial.
She said the allegation of misuse and misappropriation of confidential fund has been satisfied already by the testimony of previous witnesses.
During his manifestation, Senator-Judge Raffy Tulfo said Lachica and Nolasco should still be called as witnesses in the impeachment trial to answer for the unusual names indicated on the acknowledgment receipts for the confidential funds.
Tulfo made the manifestation as Philippine Statistics Authority Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande testified that some confidential fund payees listed by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd) have no birth, marriage, or death records.
The senator also expressed belief that the unusual names listed were only aliases.
“For me it’s really important to call Lachica and his counterpart at DepEd as they are the ones who are really involved in giving those names,” Tulfo said.
“I’m very sure, Mr. Presiding Officer, while they were filling up the names, the people at DepEd and OVP were laughing at it, making fun of us,” he added.
