With the proceedings on the last stretch of the second article and procedural matters being the highlights of the week.
On Monday, September 7, the Impeachment Trial of Vice President Sara Duterte continued, with its 22nd day centering around the testimony of Marizza Grande, Assistant National Statistician of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
It is in connection with the names of individuals who were listed as signatories in the acknowledgment receipts used by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education to liquidate their PHP612.5 million in confidential funds.
According to Prosecution’s Atty. Mae Divinagracia, they want to prove from Grande’s testimony that 1,685 of 2,669 alleged payees of confidential funds have no birth, no marriage, and no death record.
Foremost on the list is the highly controversial Mary Grace Piattos. “Based po sa aming CRS database, wala pong nagngangalang Mary Grace Piattos sa amin pong record,” the witness told.
Moreover, the PSA also did not find any record of birth, marriage and death for the payees Tomas Panda, Timon Angelo Pusa, Tina Maching, Arthur Baon, Beverly Claire Pampano, Mathew N. Keso, Maxine Callos, and Charles Sampaloc Jr.
Grande also noted that some of the payees under the list of the Office of the Vice President were minors, some even have long passed away when the supposed payments and acknowledgement receipts were made in 2022.
Although, during the Defense counsel’s cross-examination, Grande not all births, marriages, and deaths are recorded in the Civil Registry System (CRS). Some are also late registrants.
The witness also said that her testification refers to whether these persons are in the PSA database, not if they truly exist or otherwise. Moreover, she also told that she has no knowledge as regards to these being possible aliases
Meanwhile, Grande said that there is a “very slim chance” of a person existing without any birth, marriage or death certificate, when she was asked by Senate President Win Gatchalian.
Meanwhile, with no witnesses left to be presented by the prosecution, the 23rd day on Tuesday, September 8, revolved on procedural matters such as the official voting threshold needed for conviction and the tackling of Article II or the Vice President’s unexplained wealth.
Presiding officer and Senator-judge Francis Escudero noted that amici curiae (or tbe friends of the court) will be heard on Wednesday, September 16 regarding the voting threshold.
Currently, the majority 16-vote threshold is having uncertainties due to the arrest of Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta, the extended medical leave of Sen. Loren Legarda, and the unknown whereabouts of Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
Escudero has also scheduled oral arguments of the parties on September 23, when the Senate the vote on whether to retain the 24-member voting base for the trial will also be conducted.
Meanwhile, there will also be changes in the current weekly schedule of the trial, amid the 2027 budget hearings.
