LEAK; UMALI INSISTS IT WAS FROM A 'LITTLE LADY'
[PHOTO
- "I'm sorry if I caused any problem. In hindsight, I might have caused more
harm for the prosecution," Quezon City Rep. Jorge Banal said]
MANILA, FEBRUARY 18, 2012 (PHILSTAR) By Jose Rodel Clapano - (PHOTO -
"I'm sorry if I caused any problem. In hindsight, I might have caused more
harm for the prosecution," Quezon City Rep. Jorge Banal said.)
MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Rep. Jorge "Bolet" Banal asked Philippine
Savings Bank branch manager Annabelle Tiongson for help in authenticating a
photocopy of what appeared to be a signature card for a dollar account in the
bank belonging to one Renato Corona.
Tiongson disclosed this in her testimony yesterday before the Senate
impeachment court. Banal, who was at the chamber yesterday as a member of the
House prosecution team, confirmed Tiongson's story and agreed to appear before
the Senate on Monday to provide more details.
Banal admitted he asked the help of Tiongson with regard to the signature
card that he said he found in his house gate source.
"On Tuesday, Jan. 31, I went to see her (Tiongson). What she said was true. I
don't know her personally," he said.
Banal also explained how he received the documents on the evening of Jan. 30,
"I just came home after unwinding with my colleagues at the secretariat when I
saw a folded legal size photocopy of a signature card as I was entering the
parking slot in our driveway in St. Ignatius village."
"The $700k (amount) is handwritten," he added.
The lawmaker also confirmed that he was covering the paper containing the
amount, "I fear that the content is only P700 so I want to make sure (that it is
in dollars). What she did not tell is that I also left my business card. She was
very firm and very polite when she told me no. I just took a chance that she
might help me," Banal explained.
Banal also concurred that there are people helping them and apologized to the
prosecution panel manager Rep. Joseph Abaya for not informing them about the
documents.
"Yes, there were some (people) who are helping us (prosecution panel). I also
received an anonymous letter pertaining (to) $300,000 a week or two (before the
signature card surfaced)."
Banal explained that he had to verify it first since the document was just a
photocopy.
Majority Leader Vicente Sotto said that since Banal was in the hall, he
should be allowed to explain his side.
But considering the late hour, Sotto asked his colleagues to "practice
restraint" and not ask questions.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile ruled that Banal should appear on Monday
next week.
Before the trial adjourned, Banal walked in the session hall, prompting
senator-judges to decide whether they will hear his testimony or not.
With the majority allowing him to take the witness stand, Banal went on to
explain his side.
During the 19th day of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona,
Tiongson told the court that Banal has the signature cards of Corona's dollar
accounts.
Under questioning by Sen. Loren Legarda, the bank manager said that she
learned about Banal's possession of Corona's signature cards when the lawmaker
approached her in their branch last Jan. 31, two days before Oriental Mindoro
Rep. Reynaldo Umali allegedly received the same documents from an alleged
"little lady" on Feb. 2.
Tiongson said after introducing himself as a congressman, Banal asked her if
she can help him.
"He did not ask me to produce the documents. He just asked me to help him
produce photocopies. He told me that he is a congressman. He asked that maybe, I
could personally help him in my capacity (as manager of the PSBank Katipunan
branch)," Tiongson explained.
Tiongson said she turned down Banal's request, "I told him, I'm sorry. He
told me that he just needed me to guide him on certain items in the documents
that he was showing. He showed me a photocopy similar to one in Annex A (the
documents that Umali allegedly got from an alleged little lady)."
Tiongson added that what Banal showed her turned out to be a specimen
signature card.
"I was not able to see the whole of it because it was partly covered. He was
covering it, your honor. He was just showing, I don't know how many pages, I
think two pages of white paper. He partly opened it," she said.
At first, Tiongson said she did not clearly see the identification of the
specimen signature cards.
"It was a signature card of our bank. I asked him where he got it and he
said, he will tell me if I will help him. I asked him how did you get that. He
said so many people are helping us. Looking at it closely, I saw that it is
under the name of Chief Justice Corona," she said.
Tiongson said, Banal also asked the dollar sign in the specimen signature
card, "He asked me, what is this? Is this a dollar sign?"
Iloilo Congressman Niel Tupas, lead prosecution counsel, said Banal is an
ex-officio member of the House Committee on Justice and a former deputy majority
leader.
Tiongson said the incident took place before their bank president Pascual
Garcia III asked them to forward all the documents of Corona's accounts in PS
Bank to the bank's head office.
She also noted, upon Garcia's instruction, she and the three persons who have
access in the vault, where the confidential bank documents of the clients,
including Corona's, were kept, checked the vault to see if Corona's documents
are still there.
"We checked the record if they were there. We got the folder. It was after he
(Banal) left that we check the folder, your honor," Tiongson added.
Tiongson maintained that the documents in possession of Banal did not come
from their bank when Enrile asked her if the documents may have been possibly
leaked by someone from PS Bank.
"Not necessarily your honor. Because it can come from other sources. I told
him I cannot help you," Tiongson said.
On questioning by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Tiongson said she is
familiar with Banal and know him personally.
"I met him in Xavierville. It was the inauguration of a covered court. Yes.
My other colleagues told me that he is Councilor Banal. He said he is already a
Congressman. No doubt, your honor," Tiongson answered when asked if she
personally know Banal's face and how she recognized him.
Tiongson also said that Banal also introduced him as part of the secretariat.
She also asked Banal to give her the documents so that she can examine it but
he did not want to show the whole copy.
Tiongson said she frustrated Banal.
With this revelation, Santiago requested for the immediate issuance of a
subpoena against Banal to enable him to explain his side.
Enrile initially granted Santiago's request to subpoena Banal, but some
Senators cited an "inter-parliamentary courtesy" manifested that they first
invite Banal, being a congressman, to explain his side.
For his part, Umali said he stand by his story that the documents he obtained
and presented as Exhibit A before the impeachment court came from the alleged
"little lady."
Umali said he did not know about Banal's possession of the same documents
that he have.
"I stand by my story. I never got any information from Congressman Banal. We
never talked about it. We don't see each other often. I don't know his calling.
He will tell it directly to the court," Umali said.
Umali said Tiongson's testimony that Banal is in possession with the same
documents that he had will not affect the prosecution's case.
"He never brought it up with me. Not at all. The small lady gave it to me.
Nobody told me, Bolet Banal did not tell me anything. We are not talking because
we have different work in the impeachment. I am assigned on Article 8. We have
our own job. I don't know his story," Umali said.
Tupas said he also don't know that Banal has documents with him and what was
his purpose.
"That is all I know. Congressman Bolet has different assignment. He is from
Finance," Tupas said.
During cross examination by defense Laywer Serafin Cuevas, Tiongson admitted
that she has no personal knowledge of the transactions of Corona in his accounts
in PS Bank.
Tiongson said that her knowledge on Corona's accounts in their branch was
based on the records of the bank.
"Yes, Sir," Tiongson told Cuevas when the latter said that her statement
before the court "is hearsay and not admissible in evidence."
"Meaning you are not a participant in the correctness of the documents,"
Cuevas said.
Tiongson said the bank has computer system which go to the server that
contain details of all clients of the bank.
"The person who made the entries comes from the branch. The person who enter
the transactions are the new accountspersonnel and the one processing the
deposit is the teller. I was not there yet when the entry (on Corona's accounts)
was made," Tiongson said.
PHNO: MORE ON JORGE BANAL IN THE HOMETOWN & OPINION SECTION.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
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