Senate gives banks until August 13 to submit records for VP impeachment trial

The Senate impeachment court has given BDO Unibank and Security Bank until August 13 to complete financial records subpoenaed for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Presiding Officer Senator Francis Escudero said Monday that both banks submitted documents to the Office of the Clerk of Court on July 30 but requested additional time because of the volume of records they were required to retrieve, reproduce and certify.

BDO was granted 10 additional banking days to submit complete account transactions, ledgers, journals and transaction logs covered by the court’s subpoena duces tecum.

The court also directed the bank to provide four additional USB flash drives containing electronic copies of the records it had submitted.

Security Bank, meanwhile, said it was unable to complete the printing of documents involving Gen. Corp. Industries Inc. and Kalye 88 Foods Corp.

The bank was ordered to submit by Aug. 13 three certified copies and five USB drives containing the complete electronic records involving the two entities.

Escudero said similar requirements for electronic copies would apply to other banks, government agencies and offices covered by the subpoenas.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue, Anti-Money Laundering Council, BDO, Philippine Savings Bank, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Security Bank, Land Bank of the Philippines and Bank of the Philippine Islands submitted documents to the court on July 30.

The Clerk of Court accepted the BIR records after the commissioner presented presidential authorization for their release, as required under the National Internal Revenue Code.

Escudero said the prosecution and defense would be given equal opportunity to inspect, copy and study the documents once all submissions are complete.

He said the records relate to the final impeachment article that the court is expected to hear.

Meanwhile, former Commission on Audit state auditor Roderick Wamil was directed to return on Aug. 4 at 10 a.m. to continue his testimony.

-Philippine News Agency