VP Sara impeachment trial: Future defense witnesses could fill in gaps, says Poa

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Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team at her impeachment trial will present witnesses who will address any gaps in information, team member and spokesperson Michael Poa said on Wednesday.

At the trial, some senator-judges raised concerns about the lack of details in the testimony of GenCorp. Industries and Metro City Chow Foods in-house lawyer Suzette Balucanag-Punay.

Asked about how the defense planned to address these gaps, Poa said that there will be other witnesses to be presented that could answer questions about Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

“I don’t think there’s a hierarchy of gaps or anything like that but with the questions of the senator-judges, for example, ‘Why is it in the SALN’, ‘Why do the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] documents reflect otherwise’, those are the issues we will address with future witnesses,” Poa said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Senate impeachment presiding officer Francis Escudero had grilled Balucanag-Punay over the “loose investment” made by Duterte. Balucanag-Punay admitted that she did not know why Duterte was receiving payments from a fast food branch that the she had supposedly invested in.

Asked about the witness’ lack of knowledge on the matter, Poa said that there was still a limit to how much witnesses knew.

“Mayroon siyang limit sa kanyang testimonya and that’s why we said kung may iba pa tayong mga tanong [There is a limit to her testimony and that’s why we said that if there are other questions], that could be answered by probably another witness… We understand and appreciate the sentiments or perhaps the questions in the minds of the senators, we expected that, and that’s why we’re prepared with another witness to supply that information that they’re probably looking for,” Poa said.

To save time, the defense has already dispensed with bank representative witnesses except for a representative from the Bank of the Philippine Islands, according to Poa.

The spokesperson has yet to divulge the identities of their remaining witnesses from the defense. — BM, GMA News

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