Former Sen. Antonio ‘Sonny’ Trillanes IV’s allegations involving China-linked funds and other financial transactions cannot simply be disregarded because he will no longer testify in Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s impeachment trial, prosecution spokesperson Atty. Benjamin ‘Jay’ Tolosa Jr. said over the weekend.
Tolosa said the allegations are serious enough to warrant scrutiny against official financial records expected to be presented before the Senate impeachment court beginning Monday.
‘These are very serious allegations na hindi puwedeng isang tabi lang basta-basta. So kailangan tingnan pa rin natin ‘yan,’ Tolosa said during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
Trillanes on Friday alleged that Cale88 Foods Corp., a company partly owned by Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, received P319 million from China-linked sources.
He separately alleged that Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines Inc., a foundation linked to Duterte, received P150 million from the Chinese Embassy.
The former senator also made allegations involving undeclared time deposits, insurance policies and other financial transactions.
These claims, however, have not been established before the Senate impeachment court.
Tolosa said official records expected from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), banks and other financial institutions should provide a means of checking whether Trillanes’ allegations are supported by documentary evidence.
‘Kapag nakita na natin ‘tong official documents na ‘to, then we can all see for ourselves kung ito bang sinabi ni Sen. Trillanes talagang backed by official records,’ he said.
Tolosa cited as an example Trillanes’ allegation involving a P80-million cash transaction to secure insurance policies.
‘Meron siyang na-mention, again, as ‘yung mga sinasabi nga niya, one day, 80 million pesos in cash to secure policies,’ he said.
Trillanes asked the House prosecution Thursday to withdraw him from its witness list, saying this would relieve the panel of pressure.
House lead prosecutor Atty. Gerville Luistro of Batangas subsequently informed the impeachment court that the prosecution would no longer present him as a witness.
Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero had earlier declined to issue a subpoena for Trillanes but said the prosecution was not barred from presenting him as a voluntary witness.
Tolosa said Trillanes’ withdrawal does not mean his public allegations should simply be set aside.
‘Kahit hindi siya natuloy, no, dahil nag-request siya na i-withdraw ng prosecution ‘yung name niya among the list of witnesses, hindi pwedeng, kumbaga, i-disregard na lang nang ganun-ganoon ‘yung mga naging statements niya,’ he said.
AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura is expected to testify Monday on summaries of alleged covered and suspicious transaction reports involving Duterte, Carpio and several companies, as well as inward remittances and insurance and investment-related transactions.
His testimony forms part of the prosecution’s presentation under Article II, which accuses Duterte of amassing unexplained wealth, failing to fully and truthfully disclose her and her spouse’s assets, liabilities and net worth, and continuing business interests while serving as vice president.