THE Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division admonished the
Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to terminate the presentation
of government witnesses as it finally took cognizance of the protracted
proceedings in the Lucio Tan case.
"You should complete the testimonies of your witnesses. You
should endeavor and try your best to terminate their testimonies if they have
nothing more to say," Fifth Division chair Associate Justice Ma. Cristina Cortez
Estrada told PCGG lawyer Catalino Generillo Jr. Wednesday after he informed the
court he had no witness to present.
Justice Estrada cited government witnesses like former PCGG
Chairman Jovito Salonga, Rep. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Director
Jeremy Barns of the Malacañang Museum who all began but have not completed their
respective testimonies.
She directed Generillo to be ready with his witnesses when
the court resumes hearings on Civil Case No. 005 in January next year.
Earlier, defense lawyers expressed frustration over PCGG’s
repeated failure to present its witnesses to fast track the proceedings. Since
there was no government witness available, the court decided to reschedule the
hearings for next year.
Tan’s lead defense counsel Estelito Mendoza has been
complaining that PCGG was allegedly "taking its sweet time" in presenting
evidence and witnesses. He has appealed to Sandiganbayan justices to compel PCGG
to finally terminate the testimonies of its witnesses, citing his client’s right
to speedy trial.
Often, Mendoza complained, PCGG witnesses were either
unprepared or brought documents that were unnecessary or irrelevant to the case.
"That is the story over and over again," he said, referring to government’s
presentation of unprepared witnesses who have no personal knowledge of the
alleged close links between Tan and the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
He said the case against Tan should be dismissed for
government’s failure over the past 20 years to present credible evidence and
witnesses that would link his assets to the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the
Marcoses.
Mendoza pointed out that the appearance of Bongbong Marcos as a PCGG "adverse
witness" would not help government’s case since he [Bongbong] cannot make
adverse testimony against the interest of his father, who is the principal
defendant in Civil Case No. 005 and other ill-gotten wealth cases.
