MANILA, Philippines – Tuluyan nang inilantad ng prosecution nitong Miyerkoles ang pattern sa pagtatago ng humigit-kumulang P96 milyon mula sa isang Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) account na magkasamang pag-aari nina Vice President Sara Duterte at ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.
Sa pagpapatuloy na impeachment trial ni VP Sara nitong Miyerkoles, ipinakita ni prosecution counsel James Bryan Ibrahim Alih ang serye ng manager’s checks na hindi ginamit na kamalaunan ibinalik sa kanyang account.
Aniya, tila isa itong pamamaraan upang mailabas depositing pera nang hindi ito lumalabas sa year-end balance ng account.
Una niyang tinukoy ang P41.72 milyon mula sa time deposit na nag-mature noong Marso 2011 at ginamit upang bumili ng manager’s check.
Dahil nag-eexpire ang manager’s check sa loob ng anim na buwan kung hindi gagamitin, sinabi ni Alih na ayon sa record, ang parehong halaga ay ginamit muli para bumili ng isa pang manager’s check noong Oktubre 2011.
Tumutol ang defense counsel na si Atty. Michael Poa at tinanong ang kaugnayan ng mga transaksyon. Pumayag si presiding officer Francis Escudero at sinabing 2011 pa ang mga ito.
“Where is this leading to, counsel?” tanong ni Escudero.
Sumagot si Senator-judge Panfilo Lacson: “Without preempting the prosecution panel, may I venture a guess where this is headed? You’re trying to establish a pattern aimed at proving concealment.”
“That’s what we’re trying to say, Your Honor, we’re trying to establish a pattern,” sagot ni Alih.
“But the point eventually is that the manager’s checks being circulated were not reflected in the year-end balance because the funds were still floating,” paliwanag ng abogado.
Sa pagtatanong ni Escudero, ipinaliwanag ni BPI Central Metro Manila Branches division head Marwin Galvez na kapag nag-issue ng manager’s check, ibabawas ang halaga sa account ng bumili at ililipat sa settlement account ng bangko na hiwalay sa account ng kliyente.
Nananatili raw ang pera sa settlement account para suportahan ang manager’s check habang ito ay outstanding. Kung hindi ito nagamit at ibinalik sa bangko, maaaring ibalik ang pera sa account ng bumili.
Matapos ang paliwanag, pinayagan ni Escudero na ituloy ni Alih ang presentasyon. Pero sabi ng abogado: “I guess, given that there was already a clarification on that matter, to save the Court’s time, I would move on from that P41 million, Your Honor.”
“Because this is already part of the records, so that I don’t have to go through this, Your Honor, a similar time deposit that became a manager’s check in the amount of P55 million was also running during the same years, simultaneously with this P41, bringing the total to P96 million,” dagdag niya.
Tinanong ni Sen. Bam Aquino, na nakaupo bilang senator-judge, si Galvez kung kilalang paraan ang pagbili ng manager’s checks at pagpapabayaang hindi gamitin para “magtago ng pera.”
Sinabi ni Galvez na “there are instances, Your Honor, when a client purchases a manager’s check but does not use it.”
“Sorry, do you mean it is used or deliberately not used?” tanong ni Aquino.
“The point of the prosecution is that the manager’s checks were deliberately left unused to make the funds disappear from the account and then return. Is this a normal practice, or is this just a theory of the prosecution, or is this actually done by people in the banking industry?” dagdag niya.
“Your Honor, as to whether it is purposely done, I cannot comment, Your Honor. I cannot answer whether other clients deliberately purchase manager’s checks only to have them returned after six months,” tugon ni Galvez. Ernie Reyes
