Private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia sought to end discussions on the use of aliases during the 19th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Wednesday, saying the matter was not central to the case.
During an interjection by Senator-judge Robin Padilla, Divinagracia argued that the prosecution had not raised the legality or necessity of using aliases in the confidential fund documents.
“With all due respect, Your Honor, the prosecution respectfully submits that whether the use of alias is allowed or not, and whether it is necessary or not, to us, that is a non-issue because that was never raised,” Divinagracia said.
Padilla disagreed, saying the issue could not simply be dismissed as a “non-issue” after the prosecution questioned the names appearing in acknowledgment receipts related to the Office of the Vice President’s confidential funds.
The senator-judge also cited historical Filipino figures who used aliases, noting that some of their assumed names were unusual but were nonetheless used publicly.
The exchange came amid the Senate’s examination of acknowledgment receipts and alleged recipients connected to the confidential funds as the impeachment trial continued.
