SA bisa ng subpoena mula sa Senate impeachment court, kinumpirma ng Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) ang pagkakaroon ng dollar accounts ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa naturang financial institution.

Paglilinaw ng BPI, mayroon din anilang joint account (sa BPI-Julia Vargas branch) ang pangalawang pangulo at amang si former President Rodrigo Duterte. Sa naturang sangay ng bangko nakalagak ang P96-million time deposit ng mag-amang Duterte.

Para kay House prosecutor Manila Rep. Joel Chua, mistulang “Pandora’s Box” sa panig ng depensa kung tatalakayin sa paglilitis ng Senate impeachment court ang foreign denomination accounts ng bise presidente.

Lumutang ang nasabing impormasyon matapos ihayag ni defense counsel Michael Poa sa korte ang pasyang hindi na isalang bilang defense witness  si Atty. Paul Rodriguez Ysmael, head ng BPI Legal department.

Paliwanag ni Poa, dahil napag-usapan na sa nakaraang paglilitis ang tungkol sa sulat ni Ysmael na sagot sa kanyang pagtatanong hinggil sa BPI accounts ng bise presidente, minareapat ng kanilang panig na huwag nang ipatawag ang bank official sa witness stand.

Tugon naman ni Private prosecutor Atty. James Bryan Ibrahim Alih, nais sana ng panig ng tagausig na mabusisi ang nasabing liham ng BPI legal officer, lalo pa’t nakasaad sa nasabing dokumento ang kumpirmasyon sa dollar accounts ang nasasakdal.

“This was not within our visibility because the subpoena issued previously did not include dollar accounts and that was precisely one of the points, if allowed, that would have been part of our cross examination, your honor,” pahayag pa ni Alih.

Bilang tugon, sinabi ni Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero na nirerespeto ng korte ang desisyon ng depensa na huwag nang hingan ng salaysay si Ysmael at bibigyan naman ng kaukulang pagkakataon ang prosekusyon na magkomento sa naturang liham.

“At the proper time, you can make a tender, if at all, of excluded or not included evidence and this may be a proper subject matter too of any memoranda you may submit or closing remarks of the counsel whoever will make those closing remarks at the end of the presentation of evidence of both sides,” saad pa ni Escudero.

“Finally, this can be the proper subject matter of any rebuttal evidence you may wish to present after the respondent wall have rested (her case), should you decide to do so. So you will have the opportunity, Atty. Alih,” dagdag ng impeachment court presiding officer.

Para naman kay Chua, ang pag-urong ng depensa isalang ang bank official ay isang taktika para maiwasang mabusisi sa paglilitis ang  mga naging transaksyon sa BPI Julia Vargas branch accounts hindi lamang ng nasasakdal kundi maging ang joint-account ng mag-amang Duterte.

Ganito rin ang pananaw ni House prosecution spokesperson at Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong. Aniya, mas maraming katanungan ang dapat bigyang kasagutan kung maisasalang sa witness stand ang BPI nbank official.

“Should they (defense) continue on or pursue presenting the BPI official, it would open up a floodgate of questions that they could not possibly manage. Kung halimbawa mapu-prove diyan na may dollar account, kung may dollar account halimbawa si Vice President Sara Duterte, eh mas magkakaroon pa tayo ng question na hindi lang pala P817 million ang hindi na ma-account o ma-explain. It could probably be more,” ani Alonto Adiong.

“So I think that’s part of avoiding that flood, the opening of a floodgate which I think the defense could not possibly manage.” 

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