AMLC witness: I was so nervous, I skipped lunch

MANILA, Philippines — He was too nervous to eat.

Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura admitted this on Monday before taking the witness stand in the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

READ: Impeachment court allows AMLC exec to testify despite defense objection

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Before proceedings resumed after lunch, Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero asked Buenaventura if he had skipped his meal.

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“Hindi po makakain,” Buenaventura said.

(I couldn’t eat)

“Kinakabahan po, Your Honor,” he added, drawing laughter from some people in the session hall.

(I was nervous)

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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.

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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. /ja