Defense, prosecution bicker about photocopying “truckloads of evidence”

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MANILA, Philippines–The first cross-examination of whistle-blower number one, Benhur Luy, on Monday was marked by grumbling from the side of all defense lawyers and by rather comedic exchanges between both sides.

The cause of the muttering? The delay in reproducing the “truckload” of evidence against their clients.

The defense lawyers – Joel Bodegon for Sen. Bong Revilla, Stephen David for Janet Lim-Napoles and Remigio Miguel Ancheta for Revilla’s senior staff member Richard Cambe – complained about the length of time that it is taking the prosecution to furnish their side with copies of evidence.

David pointed out that he has still not received a full copy of Luy’s files. Bodegon and Ancheta, on the other hand, said that it was only two days ago that they received the first batch of Luy’s evidence.

Acting Chief Special Prosecutor Joefferson Toribio, however, pointed the accusatory finger at the defense team, saying that the delays in getting copies of the prosecution’s evidence were due to the defense team’s non-provision of money for the exorbitantly priced cost of photocopying.

The laughter this comment elicited was fueled even more when the Sandiganbayan’s First Division chair, Efren de la Cruz matter-of-factly stated that the court could not advance money to pay for the cost of photocopying the evidence, which amounts to P5 per sheet of paper.

Evidence and case documents in the Office of the Ombudsman allowed to be photocopied only on the premises of its headquarters in Quezon City at a cost which is up to ten times higher than the average price of photocopying in commercial or business establishments.

Inquirer.net reported that a source from the side of the prosecution said that the defense lawyers were just using the delay as a poor excuse, and that it was the defense’s own duty to ascertain that the documents were reproduced on time. “We don’t have to spoon-feed them everything,” the source said