Defense calls ombudsman Morales as ‘hostile and combative’ witness

Conchita Carpio-Morales ( Current Ombudsman of the Philippines ) SENATE POOL

MANILA, Philippines – Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who testified before the impeachment court Monday, was described by the defense panel as “not only a hostile witness but also a combative witness.”

Defense spokesman Rico Paolo Quicho said that Morales was even arguing with their lead counsel, former associate justice Serafin Cuevas, an act that would have warranted a telling off from the presiding judge in a regular court according to spokesman Tranquil Salvador.

Morales revealed in her testimony before the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, that she coordinated with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), to obtain records of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s alleged $10 million deposits in several bank accounts

Quicho said that it was not often that the Ombudsman coordinates with the AMLC. He claims it was a part of an “orchestrated and systematic attack on Corona.”

Salvador said that they wanted to delve deeper into the process of how the ombudsman coordinated with the AMLC to obtain the records but “some questions were not allowed” by the senators.

“(Lead counsel Serafin Cuevas) should have been allowed to ask more questions regarding the process how ombudsman obtained AMLC records,” Salvador said.

Defense spokesperson Karen Jimeno said that there was a specific process for coordinating with the AMLC. Salvador added that it required an order from a judge.

Salvador said that since the ombudsman had already obtained the records, they should have indicated so when Corona was requested to explain the alleged $10 million.

He said he finds Morales’ explanation that it was “not necessary” to indicate the source as a “flimsy reason.”

Jimeno said that they would ideally want “to have someone from AMLC to testify” in order to determine what the basis really was for the report that was submitted to the ombudsman.

-Morales testified in the impeachment court after being subpoenaed by the Senate on the basis of a request by the defense panel saying that they will bring Corona to testify as long as the ombudsman will testify regarding the $10 million deposits.