Manila: Retired Sandiganbayan presiding justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang declared Monday that her testimony in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte was 'not for sale,' denying that she had been promised anything in exchange for taking the witness stand.
According to Philippines News Agency, Cabotaje-Tang asserted during cross-examination by defense counsel Mark Vinluan before the Senate impeachment court, "My testimony is not for sale, Sir." When asked if she had been promised anything in return for her testimony, Cabotaje-Tang responded, "No, Sir. And I will never testify if ever I was offered anything material or otherwise."
During the questioning, Vinluan also inquired if Cabotaje-Tang was seeking an ambassadorial position. She replied, "No, Sir. I am retired and I want to enjoy my retirement." Cabotaje-Tang was the prosecution's first witness under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment. She testified on general legal principles involving unexplained wealth, Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), beneficial ownership, and public accountability.
Cabotaje-Tang mentioned that House prosecutor Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno did not provide her with specific questions prior to her testimony but informed her about the laws regarding SALNs and related matters. "No, Sir. Not the questions, but honestly, he told me about the laws regarding SALN and the like," she said.
She confirmed knowing in advance that she would be presented as an expert witness. Vinluan pressed Cabotaje-Tang on whether she had studied the full facts and evidence of Duterte's impeachment case before giving her testimony. Cabotaje-Tang stated, "I never made any conclusion of fact or law here regarding this case. All I dwelt on were our laws about anti-corruption and their application by the Supreme Court." When asked directly whether she had studied the facts of the case in full, she answered, "No."
Cabotaje-Tang emphasized that her testimony was limited to "the proper applications of the anti-corruption laws as ruled by the Supreme Court." She acknowledged having no personal knowledge of whether Duterte had amassed unexplained wealth, responding "No, Sir" when Vinluan inquired about it.
She was also unaware of any real or personal property, stocks, or bonds that Duterte allegedly failed to declare or misdeclared in her SALNs. When asked if she had any personal knowledge of the accuracy of Duterte's SALNs, Cabotaje-Tang said, "I have none. Absolutely, sir."
Her testimony was presented by the prosecution to outline the general legal framework for evaluating the financial and documentary evidence it intends to present under Article II, rather than to establish from her personal knowledge that Duterte possessed unexplained wealth. Earlier in her testimony, Cabotaje-Tang described the SALN as an "accountability framework" and discussed laws and Supreme Court rulings governing unexplained wealth and the disclosure obligations of public officials.
Article II accuses Duterte of accumulating wealth allegedly disproportionate to her lawful income and failing to fully and truthfully disclose her assets, liabilities, and financial interests.
