MANILA, Philippines – Binawi ng House prosecution panel nitong Lunes ang kahilingan nitong ipaamin kay Vice President Sara Duterte na pagmamay-ari niya ang mga bank account na ang records ay iniutos ng mga bangko na isumite sa Senate impeachment court.
Sa halip, hiniling ni House prosecutor Chel Diokno ng Akbayan party-list sa defense team na sumang-ayon sa mga stipulation o kasunduan tungkol sa pagiging tunay ng mga bank records.
Kabilang sa mga iminungkahing stipulation na umiiral ang mga bank account, ang records ay isinumite ng mga bangko alinsunod sa subpoena ng impeachment court, at ang mga dokumento ay tunay at awtentikong kopya ng records na hawak ng mga bangko.
Ayon kay Diokno, “the accuracy of the bank documents ‘is not genuinely in dispute.’”
“The request for admission is not being invoked to alter the burden of proof or to compel the respondent to establish the prosecution’s case and will not have that effect. Its purpose is simply to narrow the issues and avoid the needless presentation of witnesses and evidence on matters that are not genuinely disputed,” ani Diokno sa Day 30 ng impeachment trial.
“To be clear, the respondent has not made any claim that they are fake or fabricated. We will withdraw our request for admission if the respondent will agree to this,” dagdag niya.
Samantala, sinabi ng lead defense counsel na si Shiela Sison na may mga jurisprudence mula 1905, 1937, at 1969 na kumikilala sa karapatan ng respondent laban sa self-incrimination, bukod pa sa proteksiyong nakasaad sa Konstitusyon.
“The court has consistently said that an admission is actually akin to a testimony, that is why it is called an admission,” ani Sison.
“And if the Constitution prohibits compulsion for a respondent or accused to testify for himself or herself, the request for admission should likewise be prohibited here [in the impeachment],” dagdag niya.
Ayon kay Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero, magpapasya pa rin ang impeachment court sa orihinal na request for admission ng prosecution upang magsilbing gabay sa magkabilang panig. RNT/MDS
