The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte questioned the prosecution’s presentation of Office of the Ombudsman Central Records Division OIC Atty. Karen Batu as a witness during Day 25 of the impeachment trial on Tuesday, September 15.
Speaking during the defense press briefing after the proceedings, Atty. Michael Poa said Batu’s role was limited to identifying Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) kept by the Office of the Ombudsman, which serves as their repository.
“I think yung witness po kasi, again to be just very objective and fair, yung witness po kasi na napresenta kanina is only for the purpose of identifying yung mga SALN na nasa kustodya ng Office of the Ombudsman being the repository,” Poa said.
Poa emphasized that Batu was not expected to have personal knowledge of the declarations made by Duterte or any other public official who submitted a SALN to the Ombudsman.
He said the witness therefore could not testify on whether there was alleged ill-gotten wealth, non-declaration, or non-disclosure in Duterte’s SALN because her testimony was based on the documents in the Ombudsman’s custody.
Poa also argued that Batu was not presented as the proper witness to interpret the guidelines of the Civil Service Commission or Republic Act No. 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
“Para maintindihan lang natin, mga kababayan, yung witness talaga hindi siya pinatawag para mag-interpret ng kung ano mang nasa loob ng guidelines ng CSC or ng 6713,” Poa said.
According to Poa, the prosecution witness was essentially reading and identifying what appeared in the SALNs and relevant guidelines, rather than providing an interpretation of whether Duterte’s declarations complied with legal requirements.
He said the defense raised the point to provide a fair assessment of the witness’s testimony and to clarify the limits of what could properly be established through the records officer’s testimony.
