Prospective poll fraud witnesses to be screened, says Palace

All prospective witnesses to alleged irregularities in the 2004 and 2007 elections will be screened properly to ensure their credibility, Malacañang maintained Saturday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace is expecting Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to determine the integrity of the witnesses. “Siyempre concerned tayo sa credibility. That is the reason why you have Secretary de Lima there. Trabaho yan ni Sec. De Lima na tingnan ang credibility ng witness na lumalabas," she said over state-run dzRB radio. Earlier reports quoted the Commission on Elections as saying that some 17 more prospective witnesses are willing to come out and testify on poll fraud. “Lumalabas ang [mga] taong ito. Tungkulin nating tingnan ang ino-offer nilang evidence and testimony. Hindi ibig sabihin pakikinggan e tatanggapin completely," she said. Valte admitted that getting justice in poll fraud may take a long time since it will take both the efforts of the executive and judicial branches of government. She also said court proceedings allow the direct and cross-examination of witnesses by lawyers from both the prosecution and defense. “Yan ang proseso, whether you like it or not, medyo mahaba. Apart from the normal process... you also have to contend with the number of witnesses that are being presented by defense and prosecution. Ang may final say paano makakapagtakbo ang kaso, ang huwes na humahawak," Valte said. She said President Benigno Aquino III can only make appeals to the judge to avoid unnecessary delays and to allow live coverage of the trial. “We can only give suggestions because we are not the ultimate authority," she added. — JE, GMA News