Senate orders PSBank manager to testify in trial

MANILA, Philippines – The branch manager of the Philippine Savings Bank in Katipunan , Quezon City has been directed by the Senate to testify in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona in relation to accounts that he allegedly owned with the bank.

Senate President Juan Ponce-Enile, presiding officer, issued the order to subpoena the branch manager, Anabelle Tiongson, after the president of PSBank, Pascual Garcia III, refused to disclose the opening deposits of two peso accounts in the name of Corona.

Garcia, responding to queries by Senator Franklin Drilon, said he could not disclose about the initial deposits made by Corona for account numbers 089-121020122 and 089-121017358 because the requested documents in the subpoena only mentioned about the ending balances of the accounts for the years 2007 to 2010.

Drilon noted that in Garcia’s previous testimony Wednesday, the witness said the ending balance for 089-121020122 in 2009 was zero and that it has no record for the years 2007 and 2008.

Garcia said it was because the account was only opened in 2009.

But when Drilon asked how much the initial deposit was to open the account, the PSBank official repeatedly said that it was not covered by the subpoena.

“Your honor, the subpoena does not stipulate and require me to present that,” said Garcia.

Drilon then moved to subpoena the records of the opening deposit for account number 089-121020122.

“Better produce the manager of the bank,” said Enrile. Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada echoed Enrile’s motion.

But Senator Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos stood up and inquired whether they were expanding the scope of the required documents since the senators agreed in a caucus to only subpoena the ending balances of Corona’s account from PSBank for the years 2007 and 2008.

Garcia gave the same excuse when Drilon proceeded to inquire about account 089-121017358 which was opened in 2009.

At this point, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano stood up and read the subpoena issued to the representative of PSBANK which covers the amount initially deposited in the bank.

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada also noted that Garcia was incompetent to answer the questions since he was not the one who personally attended to Corona when the accounts were opened.