Raffy Tulfo: Trillanes should take witness stand first ahead of AMLC

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The prosecution panel should present former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as a witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte before Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura of the Anti Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo said Thursday.

Tulfo made the manifestation since the Senate impeachment court is yet to issue a subpoena to Trillanes pending the prosecution’s decision on the sequence of presenting witnesses.

“Kung kukunin na witness si former Senator Trillanes, much better mauna na muna siya bago AMLC. Kasi iyong mga sasabihin niya, may kinalaman sa mga bank accounts na nakalap niya a long time ago. Kung meron siyang ibubulgar na bank accounts, mga pera, pumasok, labas sa [bank] accounts na nakuha niya sa kanyang source. After natin makausap si Trillanes, iko-confirm ng AMLC,” Tulfo said.

(If you are getting Trillanes as witness, he should take the witness stand first because his testimony will be on the bank accounts he was able to collate a long time ago. If he has anything to reveal on these bank accounts, the amounts that came in and out...after we talk to him, the AMLC can confirm it.)

“So, dapat mauna si Mr. Trillanes, then AMLC. Hindi po AMLC then Trillanes (So, Trillanes must come first, not AMLC then Trillanes),” he added.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero said the prosecution should be allowed to make the decision after lunch as it earlier told the court.

Tulfo then went on to say that the prosecution should ensure that the witnesses they are fielding will give meritorious accounts on impeachment allegations.

“Make sure that your witnesses will provide clarity on the impeachment case. Meron kayong kinuha na pinagtatawan tuloy, nagpapacute lang habang nakikipag-usap sa witness na police, etcetera, Ingat kayo sa pagkuha ng mga witness at ingat kayo sa pagsasalang ng mga abogado ninyo,” Tulfo added.

It was House prosecutor Bel Zamora who questioned the Police Major Jerickson Sangalang, Records Division chief of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office on the guns owned by the Vice President and her husband, Manases Carpio.

Zamora asked the police official if it was appropriate for the Vice President to have 22 guns, but it was objected upon by the defense for being speculative. The court ruled in favor of the defense.

House prosecutor Keith Flores of Bukidnon responded by saying that it will take due notice and consider the advice of the Senator-judge Tulfo. —AOL, GMA News