Senate impeachment court spokesman Reginald Tongol said presiding officer Francis Escudero reviewed the documents and found that their release would not compromise or disclose the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s confidential investigative methods.
Financial documents from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) can
now be used as evidence in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice
President Sara Duterte, following clearance from presiding officer
Francis Escudero.
Senate impeachment court spokesman Reginald
Tongol made the confirmation on Sunday, Sept. 27, noting that
impeachment proceedings are a legal exception to the country’s strict
anti-money laundering laws.
“Our presiding officer has already decided to allow those records to be used (as evidence),” Tongol told radio dzBB.
Tongol
added that Escudero reviewed the documents and found that their release
would not compromise or disclose the AMLC’s confidential investigative
methods.
To formally enter the records into the trial, the tribunal would subpoena AMLC executive director Ronald Buenaventura.
He is expected to authenticate the documents and explain the council’s findings to the senator-judges.
The
Senate impeachment court is currently on Article II (unexplained
wealth). Last week, prosecutors scrutinized Duterte’s alleged business
interests, particularly in her hometown in Davao City.
