Defense: We asked PCIJ exec to testify on `prevailing practice’ regarding SALNs

MANILA, Philippines- Defense counsel Tranquil Salvador on Monday said that they were not out to “embarrass or put in a bad light” other public officials whose Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) were subject of an investigative article written by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).

The defense had requested to subpoena Malou Mangahas, executive director of PCIJ, to testify “to get to know what is the prevailing practice, what is the prevailing way of doing things when it comes to the SALN,” Salvador told reporters.

“We are not out to implicate [the public officials]; we know the Chief Justice is the one being accused,” Salvador said.

He added that they are not implicating other public officials but they just want to bring to light “the prevailing practice, the way this form is filled up and what has been the compliance through the years,” Salvador said.

Prosecution spokesperson, Aurora representative Juan Edgardo Angara, said that they believe the issue of whether the filing of SALN has been complied properly by public officials is a valid public issue but was not relevant to the impeachment trial.

Marikina representative Romero Quimbo, also a spokesman for the prosecution, said that there is a big difference between other public officials’ failure to file SALNs properly and the Chief Justice’s case because other officials can be filed complaints in the ombudsman, but “with the Chief Justice, an impeachment proceeding is needed.”

“The Chief Justice should not defend himself by pointing at others,” Quimbo said.

“Like we always say in the law profession, If you don’t have a defense that is sufficient to protect your client, you point to everybody else in the court room so that you distract the court, that is what the defense is doing today,” Quimbo said.