Lead prosecutor says he doesn’t know witness

MANILA, Philippines – Lead prosecutor Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr. denied knowing one of their witnesses who testified Wednesday on the authenticity of the bank documents of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The clarification came after Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada questioned Annabelle Tiongson, branch manager of the Philippine Savings Bank (PS Bank), on whether she knew the family of Tupas.

“Just to put it on record, just to be fair to the members of the family, I am not acquainted with that witness. The first time I saw her was last Monday,” Tupas said speaking during the resumption of the impeachment trial Wednesday.

Senator Estrada said Tiongson, who also hails from Iloilo, was the cousin of Obet Buenaflor Armada, who was vice governor of Iloilo when Niel Tupas Sr., the father of the incumbent Iloilo representative, was governor.

Tiongson said that she has been living in Manila since her college days, circa late 1980s, and that the last time she visited Iloilo was in 2010 to attend a high school class reunion.

Estrada again reiterated his question if Tiongson personally knows Representative Tupas, she said: “We were never introduced.”

“The link between your family and Representative Tupas ay obvious na obvious, but now you are claiming that you don’t know any member of their family. It’s quite absurd,” Estrada said.