Kapunan: VP Sara is best evidence against herself

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Vice President Sara Duterte is the best evidence against herself, private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said Friday.

Kapunan made the response when asked if the Vice President taking the witness stand will enable the Vice President to answer the impeachable allegations leveled against her, mainly amassing around P817 million worth of unexplained wealth.

“If the Vice President appears before the impeachment court, she will be the best evidence against herself due to her demeanor, the way she answers. Remember, when she was summoned in House [hearings], she refused to take an oath. Would she even take an oath to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?” Kapunan said.

“The only one she can blame is herself. She gave evidence against herself by declaring her in her SALN interest in these companies,” Kapunan said, referring to declared assets of the Vice President such as Metro City Chow Foods Corp. and GenCorp. Foods Industries Inc. which Duterte has not divested from even amid a Constitutional prohibition.

GMA News Online has reached out to Duterte's spokesperson Atty. Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. for comment but he has yet to reply as of posting time.

Back in September, the House prosecution panel intended to present Duterte in her own impeachment trial. But Kapunan later on said that given that the previous hostile witness from the Office of the Vice President merely said they "do not know" or were unaware of the allegations, it is likely that the Vice President will do the same.

Ahead of Kapunan’s pronouncements, the Senate impeachment court earlier admitted Vice President Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) in all the years she was public official since 2007, as well as the bank account, bank transaction and corporate records under her name and her husband Manases Carpio, into the list of evidence for her impeachment trial.

The impeachment trial resumes on November 9.

The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte has listed at least 24 initial witnesses it intends to present upon the resumption of the impeachment trial next week.

In a statement, Senate impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol said the court received two formal manifestations with requests for subpoena duces tecum and ad testificandum filed by the defense on November 4, in compliance with the five-day notice directive, covering the hearings from November 9 to 13. —VAL, GMA News Online