PSBank execs not ‘hostile witnesses’

MANILA, Philippines—The prosecution team has refused to declare the officials of the Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) “hostile witnesses” despite contradicting testimonies they gave for the prosecution.

“At this point your honor, no,” said chief prosecutor and Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr. when Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile asked if the prosecution would like to consider PSBank president Pascual Garcia III and branch manager Anabelle Tiongson their “hostile witnesses.”

It was Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who first raised the question to Tupas when the impeachment trial resumed on Thursday.

Santiago noted that Garcia and Tiongson were witnesses of the prosecution but they became hostile witnesses when they claimed that Corona’s bank records submitted by the prosecution team to the Senate were fake.

The bank records—the customer’s identification and specimen signature card—were attached by the prosecution when they requested the Senate to subpoena the bank officials.

Enrile warned the prosecution team that if they don’t consider the bank officials “hostile witnesses” then “any adverse statements made by them…will be binding on you.”

“So it’s your decision you have to make,” said the Senate leader.

But Tupas insisted, saying: “We don’t consider the witnesses as hostile.”

At this point, Santiago reminded the prosecution team that it could not “impeach” the bank officials if they are their own witnesses.

Tupas agreed and then called Tiongson to the witness stand.