Source : by Joseph Holandes Ubalde, Abigail C. Kwok, InterAksyon.com
Tiangco’s testimony has no direct link to the impeachment case and were just personal gripes on his funds' delayed release, the prosecution spokespersons said.
“Ang malinaw dito may tampo si Tiangco,” Aurora Rep Sonny Angara, one of three prosecution spokespersons, said.
Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo, another spokesperson, agreed with Angara, saying that the testimony was part of the “sideshow” to divert the court’s attention.
“He should not use the impeachment process to get his pork barrel. It’s all about the pork barrel. What a waste of the court’s time, ” he said.
The defense team presented Tiangco to the court on Day 27 of the proceedings to establish that the impeachment of Corona was railroaded and that lawmakers were coerced to sign the complaint lest they risk the delayed release of their pork barrel or worse, their impoundment.
Tiangco said that in March 2011, when the impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez was being circulated, the PDAF was being used to gather signatures.
He allegedly received a text message from Cavite Rep. Jose Abaya, appropriations committee head, which said that those who refuse to vote for Gutierrez’s impeachment will get “zero” PDAF.
But Quimbo said it was clear that no member of the House of Representatives who signed the impeachment complaint of either Corona or Gutierrez received favors in terms of their PDAF.
“No one from any of those who signed the complaints withdrew their signatures,” Quimbo said.
According to Tiangco, by refusing to sign the impeachment complaint, his PDAF was delayed for months, causing him to miss funding some of his projects, including his scholarship program.
He refused to affix his signature to the complaint because he was not able to read the entire complaint and that he felt that it was an "attempt to control or scare the Supreme Court."
"After the presentation (of Rep. Niel Tupas Jr.), I was convinced that there was no probable cause…ang pagkakaintindi ko sa probable cause eh yung probabilidad na ginawa ng akusado ang isang paratang. Eh papanoako maconvince kung walang dokumento o katibayan na pinapakita," Tiangco told the court.
Tiangco narrated how lawmakers were hastily presented with thecomplaint and that House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said it was"non-debatable."
"Sabi ni Speaker, Chairman Tupas will present the grounds forimpeachment. Number 2, yung gusting bumoto, bumoto, yung mga ayaw'wag. Ngunit ang di ko nagustuhan ay yung sinabi na this is non-debatable, no questions will be entertained," he said.
"Syempre kami ay deliberative body. Lahat ng ginagawa naming sa Kongreso ay pinagdedebatihan syempre you will get best result in discussing proposed measure. Ang dating sakin it’s a vague threat," Tiangco said.
