Prosecution rests case on Napoles’ illegal detention charge

MANILA, Philippines - The prosecution panel has rested its case on the illegal detention charge filed against alleged pork scam brains Janet Lim-Napoles before a Makati court.

The prosecution’s last witness and complainant in the case, Benhur Luy, yesterday stepped down from the witness stand after Napoles’ counsel Bruce Rivera failed to complete cross-examining him.

The prosecution panel was irked after Rivera asked for a continuance of his cross-examination of Luy. The panel told the court Rivera was trying to delay the hearing.

Rivera said he could not continue with the cross-examination, as he has yet to read Luy’s statements based on the transcript of stenographic notes made during direct examination last June 17.

Rivera told the court he was able to secure a copy of the notes only yesterday morning. He said he failed to get a copy last Monday, as the courts were closed for an earthquake drill.

The prosecution panel led by Makati senior assistant prosecutor Christopher Garvida said Rivera, who was present during the direct examination of Luy, could conduct the cross-examination based on his notes.

Although he admitted he made some notes, Rivera said he still needs the notes from Luy’s direct examination to correlate it with the whistle-blower’s previous statement in court.

– With Cecille Suerte Felipe