Former LandBank manager Violeta Constantino testified on the 10th day of the impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte. Screen grab from Senate of the Philippines/YouTube.
A former LandBank manager told the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday that she had never handled a single cash encashment worth Php 125 million in her 32 years in banking.
Violeta Constantino, former manager of LandBank’s Shaw Boulevard branch, testified as the prosecution’s first witness under Article I of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Asked whether she had previously encountered an encashment of that size, Constantino replied that it was her first time. “Unusual po ito,” she said when questioned about the transaction.
Constantino said the Office of the Vice President encashed four cheques worth Php 125 million each through the branch, bringing the transactions presented during the hearing to Php 500 million. The cash was reportedly placed in four gym bags before being released to the authorized representatives.
She said OVP liaison Queenie Masangcay would coordinate with the branch ahead of the withdrawals, allowing bank personnel to prepare the large amount of cash before the representatives arrived.
Despite describing the transactions as unusual, Constantino said the bank had no basis at the time to question their legitimacy because the documentary requirements had been completed. “Hindi naman kami nag-doubt kasi alam namin na legit ’yung transaction,” she testified.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano cautioned against treating an uncommon banking transaction as proof of an offense. “Just because it’s unusual, it doesn’t mean it’s illegal,” he said during the senator-judges’ questioning.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, questioned whether a bank official was the most competent witness to discuss how confidential funds were managed. He said a former intelligence officer or someone with direct experience handling such funds may have been better positioned to explain the process.
The defense waived its cross-examination after admitting the authenticity of the cheques presented by the prosecution. Constantino was later excused by the impeachment court following the completion of her testimony.