He was too nervous to eat.
Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura admitted this on Monday as he took the witness stand on Monday, Day 33 of the impeachment trial, to testify on alleged unexplained wealth of Duterte. Vice President Sara Duterte.
Before resuming the proceedings after the lunch break, Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero asked Buenaventura if he had skipped his meal.
‘Hindi po your, honor (No, your honor),’ the witness said.
When Escudero asked again why, Buanaventura answered: ‘Hindi po makakain (I couldn’t eat.)’
‘Kinakabahan po (I was nervous), your honor,’ he added.
Buenaventura was called by the prosecution to testify on Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth.
The impeachment court allowed him to testify despite a defense motion to exclude him, citing laws protecting the confidentiality of financial records.
In denying the motion, Escudero cited the Bank Secrecy Law, which he said ‘separately and expressly permits inquiry into bank deposits in cases of impeachment.’
‘While this exception does not by itself dispose of the distinct confidentiality imposed on AMLC info, it confirms the policy that bank secrecy is not an absolute bar to the constitutional accountability process,’ Escudero said.