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The House prosecution panel said Friday it would no longer present Ramil Madriaga, Col. Raymund Lachica, and Col. Dennis Nolasco as witnesses in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“We won’t present Lachica. It is not necessary because the previous witnesses’ testimony already substantiates our allegations,” prosecution panel adviser Robert Ace Barbers said in an online press conference.
Manila Rep. Benny Abante agreed, saying fielding more witnesses who are not employees of the OVP would be an “overkill.”
“We have more than enough with Ms. Gina Acosta’s testimony. Can you imagine the Vice President ordering the transfer of P125 million every quarter to one person, who is Lachica?” Abante said.
Lachica and Nolasco served as chief and deputy chief of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, respectively. They allegedly disbursed the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, then concurrently headed by Duterte.
According to a separate “24 Oras” report by Tina Panganiban-Perez, Madriaga, Duterte’s alleged bagman, faced a House investigation where he bared that in 2022, he delivered millions of pesos to different persons on the Vice President’s orders.
Lachina, Nolasco and Madriaga were among the witnesses in the list of the prosecution to be presented during the trial.
“With the witnesses that the prosecution panel has presented, we have already proven that, and it’s now in the hands of our senator-judges to weigh the witnesses and evidence we have presented, so there is no need for these additional witnesses – Col. Nolasco, Col. Lachica and Madriaga,” Barbers said.
Abante said it is now time to call Duterte, who is the impeachable official.
“Let’s subpoena the Vice President…let’s go to the jugular,” Abante said.
But House impeachment prosecutor Jeol Chua said, “We have the option to call her, but we can’t force her.”
House prosecution panel head Gerville Luistro said the list of witnesses in the remaining articles are being “reevaluated.”
The panel aims to conclude the presentation of witnesses for the article of impeachment on the use of confidential funds on September 9. —Llanesca Panti/LDF, GMA News
