MANILA, Philippines – Tila napagod na sa haba ng pagdinig ang Senate Impeachment Court matapos pagsabihan nitong Miyerkules, Oktubre 7, ang prosecution panel at ang clerk of court secretariat dahil sa ilang maliliit na inefficiency sa trial.
Sa huling bahagi ng pagdinig, pinagsabihan ni Presiding Officer Francis Escudero ang assisting counsel ng prosecution dahil hindi nito kaagad naipakita ang mga dokumento kay Cagayan de Oro Rep. Lordan Suan habang nagpe-present siya ng mga testigo mula sa mga insurance company kung saan may polisiya sina Vice President Sara Duterte at asawa nitong si Manases Carpio.
Ang testigo noon ay si Manulife Head of Manage & Review Value Stream Malu Salanguit.
“What seems to be the problem? What’s the name of the assisting counsel? What seems to be the problem? You don’t have a copy of the document?” sabi ni Escudero.
“If you have a copy — to abbreviate the proceedings Honorable Suan, kindly just confront the witness with your copy if your assisting counsel cannot find it, you should have prepared. The assisting counsel should have been prepared for this already,” dagdag niya.
Pinaalalahanan din ni Escudero si Suan na hindi malalaman ng testigo kung anong dokumento ang tinutukoy kung marking number lang ang babanggitin, dahil wala ang mga testigo nang i-pre-mark ang ebidensya.
“What is the copy that the witness is looking at right now, Honorable Suan? Again, you’re referring to an exhibit, she does not and is not familiar and aware with the exhibits that we pre-marked. That’s why assisting counsel is there to show her the exhibit you want her to look at and identify,” aniya.
“Your Honor, may I approach the witness?” tanong ni Suan.
“Yes, kindly do so if it will help abbreviate the proceedings,” tugon ni Escudero.
“Chair instructs the assistant counsel to kindly prepare the documents, the other subsequent documents for this witness and the other witnesses,” bilin pa niya.
Pagkatapos ng pagtatanong kay Salanguit, binalingan naman ni Escudero ang clerk of court dahil natagalan bago naipaupo sa witness stand si Pru Life Chief Legal, Government Relations and Sustainability Officer Calvin Kohchet-Chua.
“The clerk of court, through the OSAA (Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms), is kindly instructed to, kindly situate the witness to the witness stand already and to kindly be more efficient in terms of calling the witness from the holding room, so that we don’t unduly waste time,” sabi ng presiding officer.
Mula pa noong nakaraang Huwebes, buong araw na ang pagdinig ng Senado — mula 10 a.m. hanggang minsan lampas 6 p.m. Nitong Miyerkoles, umabot pa lampas 7 p.m. ang trial matapos marinig ang testimonya ng mga kinatawan ng bangko at insurance company.
Sinusubukan ngayon ng prosecution na patunayan ang Article II ng Articles of Impeachment laban kay Duterte, na tumutukoy sa umano’y hindi maipaliwanag na yaman at pagkabigong ideklara ito sa kanyang SALN. Ernie Reyes
