Press Release
February 17, 2012

SENATE MINORITY LEADER ALAN PETER CAYETANO
First Manifestation During the 19th Day
of the Impeachment Trial of CJ Corona

Re: Inquiries on Bank Procedures undertaken by PS Bank

SUMMARY OF MAIN POINTS

Senator Alan Peter S. Cayetano asked the witness, PS Bank Branch Manager Annabelle Tiongson, to narrate and explain standard banking practices as well as organizational processes being done or have been undertaken by PS Bank in compliance with the Impeachment Court's orders. The line of questioning seeks to establish that in taking a look into these banking processes and procedures, the information gathered could bring forth various possibilities in determining the nature of the evidence to be presented in the Impeachment Court - both by the prosecution and the defense.

ASC was able to thresh out the following points from the witness:

  • That all bank documents/ records of CJ Corona in their Branch were transferred to the main office EVEN BEFORE the issuance and receipt of the subpoena by the bank.

  • That the witness is not certain whether there are other documents/ bank records which were forwarded to the main office that were not covered by the subpoena issued by the Impeachment Court.

  • That the branch has a digital copy of the specimen signature cards stored in their computers. Hence, it is possible that it could be printed out by any person who has access to the computer.

  • That issue of whether or not specimen signature cards are filled out in a running form is relevant, because it could happen that the specimen signature card which was annexed to the subpoena (submitted by the Prosecution) may contain entries different from the original document in the bank and vice versa because the entries in the former (document annexed to the subpoena) would depend on the time one checked the specimen signature card/ form.

ACTUAL MANIFESTATION

ASC: Magandang hapon, Mr. President.

I just have a few questions to the witness to follow up the questions of those who spoke before. But I will not talk about Annex A.

(To PSBank Branch Manager Annabelle Tiongson) Good afternoon. Paki-narrate po kung paano po iyon nangyari dahil sabi po ninyo dala ninyo lahat ng records sa main branch. After getting the subpoena, what happened?

(Witness Tiongson said that after she received the subpoena, she referred it to the president for proper action)

ASC: How did it lead up to the documents being sent to the main office?

(The witness said it was requested.)

ASC: Yes, but can you narrate the event?

(Presiding Officer Senator Enrile asked that the witness be allowed to finish her statements first so they can be recorded accordingly.)

(The witness said the documents were requested by the president to be brought to the head office for proper safekeeping.)

(SP asked the witness if she complied with the order. The witness answered in the affirmative.)

(SP asked if the witness made an inventory of the documents forwarded to the head office. The witness said she did not personally do it.)

(When asked by the Presiding Officer if anyone in the branch did the inventory, the witness said she will have to check first.)

(The Presiding Officer reminded the witness that such documents cannot go out of the office without being properly recorded.)

(The witness said she was not personally present when the documents were picked up.)

(The Presiding Officer cleared if it was a messenger from the head office who took the documents. The witness said it was a senior officer, not a messenger.)

(When asked to identify the officer, the witness said it was the Branch Banking Group Head Ismael Reyes.)

(The witness said she is not aware if Reyes signed anything before taking the documents, but said that it should be in the records.)

ASC: Basically, the Senate President has asked the questions I wanted to ask you but I would like you to do a backtracking for us.

When you got the subpoena, you informed the president. How did you lead up to sending the documents and what happened after you informed the president of the subpoena?

(The witness said she informed the president of the first subpoena, and that the documents were prepared then.)

ASC: Why were the documents prepared? Did he order you? Paki-narrate mo lang 'yung pagkaka-sunod sunod ng nangyari without leaving anything out para hindi ako paulit-ulit sa pagtanong. Go ahead, whatever you can recall.

(The witness said she was at the head office when she received the subpoena. Upon receipt, she said she immediately went to the president to show him the subpoena, after which the president told her not to worry and offered to appear in court instead.)

ASC: Then how did it lead up to getting the documents? Doon ba niya sinabi na kunin?

(The witness said that happened earlier.)

ASC: So the documents were ordered to be retrieved before the subpoena?

(The witness answered in the affirmative and said that it must have been by the time the impeachment court started to hear the impeachment case.)

ASC: So even before the subpoena, pinakuha na lahat ng records?

(The witness agreed.)

ASC: Ibig sabihin, 'yung records na pinadala, hindi mo sigurado kung lahat ay nasa subpoena, o mayroon pang iba na wala sa subpoena.

(The witness said 'yes'.)

ASC: So everything and anything that has to do with the subpoena, with the CJ's accounts, pinakuha bago ang subpoena?

(The witness agreed.)

ASC: Meaning your bank was expecting the subpoena?

(The witness said she cannot answer the question.)

ASC: Can you say whether the documents you sent to the head office are the peso accounts discussed here, or would you know if there are other accounts there?

(The witness said she wouldn't know.)

ASC: Mayroon ba kayong IMA-SDA? Investment management accounts?

(The witness said they have an SDA, but it is offered by trust, not in the bank proper.)

ASC: Mayroon ba si CJ Corona nito o wala? Because Sen. Osmena asked you for all.

(The witness said 'no' because it is already offered by the certification that CJ Corona has none.)

ASC: Then just a question on your records. Sabi ninyo centralized ang sa inyo, na computerized ang inyong records, right?

(The witness said 'yes'.)

ASC: Is there a digital copy of the signature cards inside the system?

(The witness said there is for current and savings accounts.)

ASC: Ibig sabihin, 'yung signature card, kahit wala na sa inyo ang records, it could have been printed out?

(The witness said she cannot say.)

ASC: Halimbawa, may dalang cheke mula sa client at pupunta sa inyo, titingnan mo sa computer ang kanyang signature at ang kanyang dala dahil na-digitalize na iyon. You have a digital copy of the signature card. Hindi ba? Kaya ikukumpara mo ang signature bago mo i-release ang ine-encash. Right?

(The witness agreed.)

ASC: Since it's there inside the system, and since you can print out from your system tulad ng certification, you can actually print out the signature card?

(The witness said she cannot say.)

ASC: How can you print out other certifications but you cannot print that out?

(The witness said there's a print function in the page.)

ASC: Is that digital copy of the signature card only available in your branch, or are they also available in other branches of PSBank?

(For the current and savings account, it can only be accessed upon transaction. That's what I understand.)

ASC: Sabi ng president ninyo kahapon, una kayo nationwide, in some services. Does that include the encashment of cheques?

(The witness agreed.)

ASC: And you do know that there is a print screen function in all computers, that as long as it's in the screen, kahit mayroon kang security measure not to print out the document itself, you can print out what appears on the screen.

(The witness said 'I guess so'.)

ASC: Huling katanungan doon sa pinag-uusapan nating dokumento, 'yon ba ay one time lang fini-fill-out o running accounts ba 'yon na kung may bagong account, dagdag ka nang dagdag doon? Is it like a doctor's records that everytime you visit, dadagdagan doon sa ilalim, or is it a one-time record that needs a new record every time?

(The witness said that from what she knows, there's a one-time filling out of forms for initial account opening, but said she is not very familiar with subsequent account opening, because it is more of the marketing side.)

ASC: Who would be familiar with that?

(The witness said the branch service and control officer.)

ASC: Isn't that most relevant, kasi sabi ninyo may mga nandoon sa...

(The witness said that as far as she knows, they are not required to write the accounts down.)

ASC: What I'm saying is that, sabi kasi ninyo kahapon, mayroong nasa original na wala sa hawak natin dito sa court. Mayroong nasa dokumento dito sa court pero wala sa original. If it's a running form, it depends on the time you checked the form, and which form. That's why if you're not familiar with that, that would have been very relevant to the discussion of whether or not 'yung entries ay nadagdagan.

I promised not to ask questions on that and I will yield to Sen. Osmena.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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