Matapos humarap sa Senado upang isiwalat ang mga umano’y anomalyang kinasasangkutan ng pamilya Binay, pinayagan na rin ng Sandiganbayan si dating Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado na tumestigo hinggil sa kasong katiwalian na kinahaharap ni dating Makati Mayor Dr. Elenita Binay.
Bagamat una itong hindi pinayagang tumestigo, binaliktad ngayon ng Sandiganbayan Fifth Division ang orihinal na desisyon nito at pumabor na rin na humarap sa korte si Mercado upang ihayag nito ang kanyang nalalaman hinggil sa umano’y maanomalyang pagbili ng office equipment na aabot sa P72 milyon noong nakaupo pa si Ginang Binay noong 2002 bilang alkalde.
“It is axiomatic that the matter of presentation of witnesses by the prosecution is not for the accused or, except in a limited sense, for the court to dictate. The prosecution has the discretion as to how to present its case and it has the right to choose whom it wishes to present as witnesses,” nakasaad sa resolusyon na may petsang Enero 22.
Ang resolusyon ay isinulat ni Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta at pinaboran nina Fifth Division Chairperson Roland Jurado at Associate Justice Samuel Martirez.
Noong Enero 7, 2015, ibinasura ng Fifth Division ang kahilingan ng prosekusyon na payagan si Mercado na humarap sa korte dahil hindi naisama ang bise alkalde sa listahan ng mga testigo sa pre-trial briefing.
Sa pagbaliktad sa orihinal nitong desisyon, sinabi ng Fifth Division na “the prosecution could not have known that Mr. Mercado would be a viable witness until only after he has testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee; hence, it could not have been anticipated that he be listed as one of the witnesses for the prosecution.”
“The reservation clause incorporated in the Pre-trial Order on the right of the prosecution to present additional witnesses during the trial is nonetheless noted,” dagdag ng anti-graft court. (Jeffrey G. Damicog)
