Objection of VP Sara's lawyers vs offer of evidence not based on truth - Ridon

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The objection made by Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team on the House Prosecution’s offer of evidence in relation to her impeachment trial is not based on the truth, said House prosecution team member Representative Terry Ridon on Tuesday.

According to GMA News’ Bea Pinlac, Ridon said they already expected the defense lawyers to object to all pieces of evidence they submitted before the Senate impeachment court.

“Expected na po namin’yung pag-object ng depensa, but that is an objection that is not based on truth, it is not based on what we had seen in the last couple of weeks. So tignan natin kung ano ‘yung gagawin nilang paglalatag ng ebidensya at depensa nila,” he told reporters.

(We already expected the defense to object, but that is an objection that is not based on truth—it is not based on what we have seen in the last couple of weeks. So let's see how they will present their evidence and defense.)

The formal offer includes all documentary evidence and witness testimonies presented by the prosecution in support of Article 2 of the impeachment complaint, which alleges that Duterte accumulated unexplained wealth through assets not declared in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

Ridon said Duterte’s defense lawyers actually objected to all the evidence they submitted including SALNs, bank records, insurance records, records from the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Anti-Money Laundering Council, among others.

“The defense has objected, we will leave it to the Senate impeachment court to make a determination on all the pieces of evidence,” he said.

In their response to the Prosecution’s offer of evidence, the Defense said the evidence submitted is the result of an "impermissible fishing expedition and, thus, inadmissible as evidence."

For his part, Ridon said the House prosecutors questioned the defense team’s “blanket objection.”

“Medyo nakakatawa na meron po silang blanket objection sa lahat ng piraso ng ebidensya na isinumite ng prosekusyon…That the defense is defenseless is probably a good description of it,” he said.

(It is somewhat laughable that they have a blanket objection to every single piece of evidence submitted by the prosecution… That the defense is defenseless is probably a good description of it.)

GMA News has reached out to the defense team for a comment. —RF, GMA News