The prosecution has asked the Impeachment Court to subpoena three military officers for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, but none of them are Col. Raymund Lachica, the former head of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group who received P500 million in confidential funds from her office.
Lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro asked for a subpoena for Col. Manaros Boransing II, Col. Magtanggol Panopio, and Col. Adonis Bajao in relation to Duterte’s alleged misuse of the DepEd’s confidential funds.
Boransing, Panopio, and Bajao earlier testified before the House of Representatives that no DepEd confidential funds were used for its Youth Leadership Summits in 2023. This was after the DepEd used the certifications they issued for the events to justify its use of confidential funds to pay informants before the Commission on Audit.
Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero asked the prosecution why Lachica was not included despite his being mentioned extensively in witness testimony as the recipient of the OVP’s confidential funds which were allegedly used for its operations.
“Out of curiosity, although we cannot compel you, counsel, at some point, do we expect that to happen?” Escudero said.
Luistro said Lachica is on the list of the prosecution’s witnesses, but the prosecution will have to revisit the list to decide who needs to be presented before the court.
In a press briefing, prosecution spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said the prosecution has to tread carefully in presenting a hostile witness like Lachica.
“Dahil hostile witness ito, mahirap ma-control and hindi mo alam kung magsisinungaling yung tao,” Tolosa said.
He said he is not saying Lachica would lie on the stand, but there are reasons for him to do so or to stonewall because of Lachica’s possible personal liability.
“Lagi naming sinasabi, kung hindi siya absolutely necessary, you don’t put a hostile witness on the stand and this applies to all kinds of hostile witnesses,” he said.
He also said that there may be no need for Lachica if the prosecution has shown Duterte’s lapses and proven its case based on other witnesses and evidence.
Earlier, private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said the prosecution has yet to decide on summoning Lachica and Col. Dennis Nolasco, who allegedly received the DepEd confidential funds.
Kapunan raised a concern as she noted that they had not previously testified before the House of Representatives, and the prosecution would not be able to easily check the accuracy of their testimony before the Impeachment Court.
Kapunan said there would be concern about the credibility of their testimony since the prosecution would not be able to cross-check their accounts with transcripts from the House of Representatives.
“Besides, they may not want to incriminate themselves. Baka magsabi sila ng testimony roon na imbento lang,” she said last week.