Walang interes ang prosecution na humingi ng subpoena sa impeachment court na ipatawag si Lachica bilang testigo

HINDI na kailangan ng prosecution na ipatawag si Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, chief security officer ni Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, bilang testigo sa impeachment trial, ayon kay Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, tagapagsalita ng House prosecution panel.

“With or without Lachica being presented by either of the sides, especially from the prosecution panel, we have already established the fact that there was misuse, and the one who ordered the transfer of these funds, again leading to the misuse of the confidential funds, is the Vice President,” sinabi ni Adiong.

 “And the accountability for such violations is also going towards the direction of the Vice President, being the head of the agency. We have already established that fact,” dagdag ng dating kongresista.

Ayon kay Adiong, wala nang interes ang prosecution na humingi ng subpoena sa impeachment court na ipatawag si Lachica bilang testigo nito at sapat na ang mga testimonya ng mga naunang testigo, sina dating Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta at OVP Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio.

Naunang tumestigo si Acosta na nagsabing si Duterte ang nag utos sa kanya na ibigay ang apat na P125-million tranches sa P500 million in confidential funds kay Lachica, hepe ng Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.

Sa panig naman ni Ortonio, sinabi niya na sina Duterte at Lachica lamang ang nakakaalam kung saan at papaano gagamitin ang pondo.

Pinasinungalingan naman ni Adiong ang mga paratang na “hilaw” ang ebidensiya ng prosecution at makukumpleto lamang ito kung gagamitin si Lachica bilang hostile witness.

 “Buo naman po ‘yung storya na nakuha po natin kay Ms. Gina Acosta at saka kay Mr. Ortonio. Merong misuse ba? Yes, may misuse. Pangalawa, sino ‘yung nag-utos na it would lead to the misuse of the confidential funds? Ang Bise Presidente,” sabi ni Adiong.

“Now, those two areas were already been established, with or without the testimony of Colonel Lachica,” dagdag ni Adiong. 

(VINA de GUZMAN)