Manila: The House of Representatives prosecution on Monday presented former Sandiganbayan presiding justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang as its first witness under Article II of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte's impeachment trial, seeking to establish a legal framework for examining evidence on her wealth, asset declarations, and business interests.
According to Philippines News Agency, House prosecutor Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno stated that Tang's testimony would organize the presentation around six questions concerning public accountability, unexplained wealth, asset declarations, and business interests. Diokno emphasized that Tang possesses specialized knowledge and experience to testify as an expert on public accountability, aiming to provide the impeachment court with a framework for understanding and evaluating the financial and documentary evidence the prosecution will present.
Tang, who served as Sandiganbayan presiding justice from 2013 to 2024, spent 30 years at the Office of the Solicitor General before her appointment as justice in 2012. Diokno mentioned that her testimony would first address when an official's wealth warrants closer examination and how assets should be assessed when not registered in the official's name.
The questioning also delves into the standards expected of the country's top officials and the limits on their business activities while in office. The prosecution aims to explore whether the President and Vice President can engage in business while serving and how government dealings involving an official's business should be scrutinized. The role of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) in reflecting a public servant's financial position will also be examined.
The prosecution highlights these issues as relevant to the allegations under Article II, which include claims that Duterte allegedly accumulated wealth disproportionate to her lawful income, submitted incomplete or untruthful SALNs from 2022 to 2024, and allegedly failed to divest from or continued to hold prohibited business interests from 2022 to 2025. However, Diokno stressed that the expert testimony is not a conclusion on the case or an instruction to the senator-judges.
The defense objected to parts of Diokno's presentation, arguing they amounted to conclusions. Presiding Officer Francis Escudero noted the continuing objection and directed Diokno to finish the offer.
