Senator-judge Robin Padilla on Monday questioned financial forensic analyst Alexander Cabrera over his former accounting firm’s ties to a company facing complaints allegedly involving billions of pesos.
Despite this, House prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno reaffirmed his full trust in the witness during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
During his interjection on Day 38, Padilla asked Diokno if he knew that the prosecution witness worked in Isla Lipana & Co.
The senator-judge said that this company supposedly vouched that MFT Group of Companies---a firm that faced criminal complaints and a cease and desist order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)---was “financially healthy.”
“Meron pong reklamo dito sa company na ito na ito raw ay nang-biktima ng mga OFW na maraming bouncing checks at isinabit nitong MFT Group of Companies na umaabot sa P5 bilyon. Ang tanong ko po, hindi niyo po ba alam na ‘yung Isla Lipana ang independent auditor nitong MFT Group of Companies?” Padilla asked.
(There are complaints against the MFT Group of Companies regarding the victimization of OFWs through bouncing checks and liabilities amounting to P5 billion. My question is, were you not aware that Isla Lipana is the independent auditor for the MFT Group of Companies?)
Diokno then distanced Cabrera from the issue.
“Ang alam ko po ay itong MFT Group of Companies ay hindi kasama sa mga kasong ito ang ating testigo, si Atty. Alex Cabrera,” Diokno said.
(As far as I know, our witness, Atty. Alex Cabrera, is not included in these cases of the MFT Group of Companies.)
Padilla asked Cabrera if he became chairman of Isla Lipana & Co. The witness answered in the affirmative, saying he served as the firm’s top official from 2013 to 2021.
Cabrera also confirmed he is familiar with the MFT Group of Companies.
“Sa 104 years of existence namin, ngayon lang kami nadamay sa ganyang uri ng problema… ‘Yung kaso po nung nangyari po ay tapos na ang aking term,” he said.
(In our 104 years of existence, this is the first time we’ve been dragged into that kind of problem… My term had already ended when those cases were filed.)
Padilla went back to Diokno to ask if the prosecution was okay with the supposed tainted image of Isla Lipana under the chairmanship of Cabrera.
Diokno said that his trust in the witness remains steady. “Buong-buo po ang tiwala ko kay Atty, Cabrera,” he said.
(I have complete trust in Atty. Cabrera.)
“Ang pagkaintindi ko po sa kasong ‘yan, ang naging kliyente ng Isla Lipana ay ‘yung parent company lang po at ang alam ko, ‘yung nagka-problema na nabanggit niyo Sen. Robin, ay involved the subsidiaries who were not engaged by or who were not served by Isla Lipana,” he added.
(From my understanding, Isla Lipana’s client was only the parent company, and the issue you mentioned, Senator Robin, involved subsidiaries that were not engaged by or served by Isla Lipana.)
Appeal to the court
In his interjection, Padilla also underscored the importance of fairness in the trial and not rushing the impeachment proceedings.
“Sa amin naman po, gagawin din namin ang trabaho namin na hindi namin ito mamadaliin. Hindi rin po kami magkukulang sa oras at hihingin po namin sa aming Senate President at sa aming tagapamahalang hukom na ‘wag nating madaliin ito dahil itong bagay na ‘to, nakasalalay dito ang 32 million votes ng taumbayan,” he said.
(We will also do our job without rushing the impeachment proceedings. We will not cut it short and we will ask our Senate President and the presiding officer not to rush it, because the 32 million votes of the people hinge on this matter.)
Padilla also briefly asked Cabrera if it is true that he met with former vice president and incumbent Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo in December 2025.
“Tama po (that’s correct),” the witness answered. —LDF, GMA News