Why and what makes investments, bank deposits and business transactions so controversial to the prosecution in the impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte? In the same vein, why is it of no concern to members of the prosecution the gargantuan ₱1-trillion plus in kickbacks from ghost flood control projects that are actuallly purloined from taxpayers money?
Talk to investment managers and they will tell you those nincompoops in the prosecution panel either merely wants to denigrate the VP or they are just plain nincompoops who thinks that a congressional seat makes easy money so who cares about investment placements in stocks and business ventures.
This mindset is what triggers their suspicion that Sara, being a politician like them, cannot possibly engage in other financial activities.
Ergo they went on an over – a-month safari looking for bank accounts, investment placements and business ventures of VP Sara and husband lawyer Mans Carpio to probe and cull what possible transactions they can use to prove their claim that the couple have unexplained wealth.
What the prosecution wanted to portray is that the Duterte and Mans Carpio started from scratch. They have not gotten away from the sick notion before that only somebody from the National Capital Region or from Luzon could be President of the country. I recalled that when PRRD announced his candidacy for the presidency he was ridiculed for being a man from the boondocks wanting to be president of the Philippines.
They have not gotten rid of that condescending attitude they must have thought that even with family economic status no one from outside NCR can graduate from even the middle income group. But that is precisely why Davaowenyos strive hard to earn descent source of livelihood.
The prosecution thought it unbelievable for VP Sara and Mans Carpio to be engaged in business other than being lawyers and in the case of Sara being in politics.
It makes business sense for Mans to invest in banana chips. The raw material is cheap but the export value is high. Together with fresh Cavendish bananas, cadava bananas and banana chips that is the main product of Calle88 Food Corporation where Attorney Mans invested in, the total export receipts could easily generate $1.5-billion every quarter for the country! That is not to include the growing demand for Davao durian, pineapple and cacao. So what’s all the dramatics against Calle88 receiving remittance amounting to ₱319-million (roughly $5-million) from its banana chips exports? Recent data shows that durian export now fetches $275-million!
It is therefore ridiculous to pick Calle88 Food Corp. from among the many firms in Davao that export various products to China and then link it as a payment of espionage. The thought alone is idiotic. The firm exports to China and HongKong and not a cent came from the Chinese government, even AMLC asserts.
So there. It simply proves that the malicious intent of the prosecution is not to support their charge of
ill-gotten wealth since the business is legitimate but to tweak the facts to link VP Sara to Malacanang’s hate-China campaign with, who else but, Defense Sec. Gibo Teodoro as the chief architect and ex-senator Antonio Trillanes and PCG Spokesperson Jay Tarriela as the supporting cast.
Sec. Gibo Teodoro is another story alltogether and we’ll leave him to others to disect as already Manila-based columnists are starting to divulge interesting details about his citizenship.
In the meantime the impeachment trial had ran beyond 35 days without any tangible and credible pieces of evidence to backup the charges againt VP Sara Duterte. The trial has become so boring and soporific that the once garrolous Rep. Benny Abante was caught on camera in deep slumber.
