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DEFENSE ASKS FOR MORE TIME TO PREPARE FOR AMLC CROSS-EXAMINATION

The Senate impeachment court will not hold a trial on Friday, Oct. 2, after the defense asked for more time to prepare for the cross-examination of the next witness from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

Lead defense counsel Atty. Sheila Sison said the defense needs additional time to prepare its questions and submit its comment on the offer of testimonial evidence.

Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero granted the request and scheduled AMLC Executive Director Atty. Ronel Buenaventura to testify on Monday, Oct. 5.

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Transcript
00:00We just noticed that this document consists, or the summaries, including the cover letter submitted by the Executive Director of
00:10the Secretariat of the Anti-Money Laundering Council,
00:14Attorney Ronel Buenaventura, consisting of 11 pages, actually has on each and every page of this document a strictly confidential
00:27mark.
00:28And this repeats in the entire submission, including the accompanying summaries identified as Annex A, and so on and so
00:43forth.
00:43There is also a portion in the cover letter dated October 1, 2026, of the Executive Director of AMLC addressed
00:52to the lead of the panel, the prosecutors, explicitly saying that the AMLC is not waiving the confidentiality of AMLC
01:04records.
01:04Now, in view of that, and Section 8-A of AMLA, as amended by Republic Act No. 11.521,
01:19as well as the fact that we just received copies of these summaries today, which now will involve an undertaking
01:31of a review of at least 23 to 24 boxes of documents on the part of the defense.
01:38And without a review of that, we cannot imagine how we would be able to intelligently respond to the questioning
01:48of the prosecution to their intended witness,
01:52should it come to that and raise the proper grounds, therefore, without examination of the documents that we need to
02:03do to appreciate the so-called summaries here.
02:06In addition, of course, to our objection that we may raise on the confidentiality, absolute confidentiality of these records.
02:20And we note, Your Honor, that when this court ruled to grant the request for subpoena of the prosecution in
02:28July, July 2026,
02:33I think that the limitation of that ruling was only on the issuance of the subpoena.
02:41And the court had made clear that that ruling is without prejudice to the eventual objection at the proper time
02:51that will come from the respondent.
02:54Also, in the journal that we had reviewed on that ruling, it cited the case of Republic v. Sandigan Bayan
03:04to justify the grant of the request for subpoena.
03:09But we would note that that case was decided at the time when the amendatory law, Republic Act No. 11
03:17.521, was not yet in effect.
03:20And the facts of the case obtaining were under the old law, before the passage of the old law, providing
03:28for the absolute confidentiality of the EMLC records.
03:32Just those for now, Your Honor.
03:36The court, out of an abundance of caution, as used by Attorney Sheila also last week,
03:44ex-abundante cautela furnished the senator judges with a copy of the provisions of the law raised by the council
03:54for respondents,
03:55again, for their perusal and for them to study before we make an intelligent judgment on the matter when we
04:03resume.
04:05Kaugnayan ng isa po niyong sinabi, Attorney Sheila, sa madali salita,
04:09kailangan niyo na pa ng panahon para maghandaan at maghanda para sa cross-examination.
04:14At kung sakasakali, kahandaan din na mag-object sa direct examination kung may mga punto mang dapat objectan.
04:23Tama po ba?
04:24That is correct, Your Honor, but not only to time to prepare for the cross-examination and to object to
04:32the direct examination,
04:33but as well as to offer a proper comment to the offer of the testimonial evidence.
04:41And during the recess, during the sidebar, Attorney Sheila, do you also confirm that you requested for Monday to do
04:50this?
04:51Not exactly a request, Your Honor, but I think that schedule was considered earlier.
04:59Yes, given that we were supposed to, the subpoenas to be issued were only given now.
05:07We will be issuing the subpoenas for the respective banks and insurance companies today.
05:12Hence, it would be too late to serve them for any witness to be presented tomorrow
05:18because originally we were planning to spend this afternoon and tomorrow for AMLC for both parties
05:27as well as the senator judges.
05:30Hence, there will be no available witness tomorrow through no fault of the prosecution.
05:37And given that, we will be expecting the other witnesses to appear on Monday.
05:42Monday it shall be for us to continue with this trial.
05:45Monday it shall be for you to leave.
05:50Monday it shall be for us to continue with today.
05:51Monday it shall be for us.
05:51At your recommendation the annual�� espace due to the
05:51Monday the massacre, we will expect him to make a difference right now.
05:57And supposedly it shall be the only date when we return to the backup up by election.
05:57We shall go to theigtual waters for the Эmal by the number of 1220 members today.
05:57You

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