Sandiganbayan nixes move to have Tanenglian testify vs Lucio Tan in court

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has rejected a former government lawyer’s move to have business tycoon Lucio Tan’s brother Mariano Tanenglian testify against him to supposedly prove that some of the corporations he owns actually belong to the Marcoses.

The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division said former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Catalino Generillo, lawyer, does not even have the legal personality to act as a government lawyer since his services has been terminated.

The Sandiganbayan, in a resolution penned by Associate Justice Roland Jurado to which Associate Justices Teresita Diaz-Baldos and Napoleon Inoturan concurred with, denied Generillo’s motion to allow the prosecution to present Tanenglian since the government has already rested its case.

Relieved

“It bears emphasis that Atty. Generillo is not the real party in interest in the instant case. He has no legal personality to ask for a reopening of the trial as he does not stand to be benefited or be prejudiced by the judgment in the instant suit,” the ruling said. “Neither is he the party entitled to the avails of the suit. Hence, the Motion for Reopening of Trial must be denied,” the ruling further stated.

The Sandiganbayan said Generillo cannot claim ownership of supposed documents relating to what Tanenglian can testify on because such documents belong to the PCGG.

Generillo was relieved by former Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera in handling the case against Tan last year after the Sandiganbayan ordered the prosecution to terminate its presentation of evidence.