Tang tells Duterte lawyer: My testimony isn’t for sale

MANILA, Philippines — Former Sandiganbayan presiding justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang said Monday that her testimony before the impeachment court was not offered in exchange for any favor.Cabotaje-Tang made the remark after Vice President Sara Duterte’s lawyer questioned her during Day 24 of the proceedings whether she had been promised anything for testifying.

READ: Diokno: Tang subpoena served through his office for her protection

The former antigraft court justice was asked series of questions about her relation to the prosecution’s co-team leader for Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno, as the subpoena for her was addressed to the lawmaker’s office.

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Cabotaje-Tang said she and Diokno were not personally acquainted and that she had no connection with or plans to join Akbayan.

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“Were you promised anything in return, in exchange for your testimony today Ma’am?” Vinluan asked.

“No, sir.  And I will never testify if I were ever offered anything, material or otherwise.  My testimony is not for sale sir,” the former justice replied.

“This is totally unrelated but we just wanted to confirm for a fact, are you vying for an ambassadorial position at the moment?” Vinluan asked again.

“No, sir, I am retired, and I want to enjoy my retirement,” the former Sandiganbayan official replied.

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Early during the trial, Diokno admitted that the Senate Impeachment Court’s subpoena for Cabotaje-Tang was served to his office to protect her from potential harassment.

Knowing Diokno?

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Vinluan asked Cabotaje-Tang if how long she has known Diokno — to which the former Sandiganbayan presiding justice responded by saying that they were adversaries when she was still with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

“How long have you known Rep. Diokno?” Vinluan said.

READ: Diokno: Tang needed to explain how unexplained wealth is violation

“Well I’ve known him during our, my days in the OSG when — as I’ve mentioned earlier — we became adversaries in the Amparo cases which we both handled.  But I’ve not met him since I left OSG, it was only before this impeachment trial,” Cabotaje-Tang said.

Vinluan pressed further, asking whether Cabotaje-Tang met Diokno aside from their jobs.  She then said that she met Diokno once, but she cannot remember why — prompting Vinluan to remind her that they were both part of a forum hosted by the University of the Philippines (UP) Law School.

“I’ll help you recall: I’m showing you a photo of an event depicting you, Rep. Chel Diokno, Rep. Renee Co, and Winnie Monsod, among others, this was an event by UP Law, do you confirm that this photo is — I’ll use a clicker — kayo po ‘to ano, ‘yong naka-white?” Vinluan said.

“Yes sir,” Cabotaje-Tang added.

“Ito po si, sino po ba ‘to, si Rep. Co ‘to ano?” Vinluan asked again?

“I think that was the event where I delivered a lecture on anti-corruption,” she noted.

Diokno later made a manifestation to correct Vinluan’s statement that he was also in the photograph.

“I do not see myself in the photograph, so I think that should be corrected in the record,” Diokno said.

Presiding Officer and Senator-judge Francis Escudero agreed, noting that Diokno was not in the photograph, although he was listed as one of the event’s participants.

The defense earlier objected to the presentation of Cabotaje-Tang, noting that she has no knowledge of the facts involving Duterte’s case. 

Diokno, however, said Cabotaje-Tang was presented to explain the legal framework surrounding public accountability and unexplained wealth, rather than testify on the specific facts or financial records involving Duterte.

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Escudero eventually allowed the prosecution to proceed with her testimony. /dp