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House prosecutor Representative Chel Diokno and defense lead counsel Sheila Sison on Monday exchanged words after the latter described as “erroneous” the testimony of financial forensic analyst Alexander Cabrera on the supposed unexplained wealth of Vice President Sara Duterte.
On the Day 38 of the impeachment trial, Sison gave a manifestation, saying that Cabrera was given an “extensive platform and opportunity” to give his “unbridled and erroneous conclusions of law and fact.”
Diokno moved to strike Sison’s statement, saying that it is a conclusion of law and “totally out of order.”
“It’s up to the Honorable Court to decide whether the opinion of Atty. Cabrera is acceptable or not. And it’s not in our place, whether I’m for the prosecution or for the defense, to make such irresponsible statements. I move to strike, Your Honor,” Diokno said.
Sison objected to the motion of the prosecutor.
“Well, I object to that motion, Your Honor. In fact, it came from the gentleman himself, the witness gave an opinion that in itself is proof that the witness only gave conclusions and not facts,” she said.
READ: Who is Alexander Cabrera, the financial forensic analyst witness?
Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero intervened, ruling that Sison’s remarks remain in the records.
“Let it remain in the record, Honorable Chel… The [defense] clearly disagrees with the opinion of the expert, and from their point of view, she described it from their perspective and not necessarily the perspective of the court nor the prosecution. Then it is not per se strikable from the point of view of the court,” Escudero said.
Diokno made a counter-manifestation, expressing the view of the prosecution on the matter.
“In the view of the prosecution, the statement of the defense that the opinion is erroneous is totally out of place and has no meaning in this court,” he stressed. — BM, GMA News
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