By Rey E. Requejo

A fact-finding committee yesterday failed to compel a bank executive to disclose details of the deposit account of State Prosecutor John Resado who is accused of receiving bribe to drop the drug charges against the ?Alabang Boys.?

Testifying before the three-member panel chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Carolina Grino-Aquino, assistant vice president Liza Bugay of Banco de Oro could only reveal scant details of Resado?s bank account.

Lawyer Ruben Purisima, counsel for the bank, prevented Bugay from revealing details of Resado?s bank account, invoking the bank secrecy law and citing the lack of written waiver from the accused prosecutor.

Bugay said a deposit was made on Resado?s account with the bank?s SM-North Edsa branch on Nov. 30, 2008, but it was credited only on Dec. 2 of the same year. Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2008 were declared holidays.

On Purisima?s advice, Bugay did not reveal the amount that was stated in the bank account statement. Only panel members were able to see Resado?s bank statement. The bank secrecy law requires a court order or the written consent of a depositor before a bank account is made open to scrutiny.

Resado admitted that he deposited P800,000 to his and wife?s joint account on Dec. 2, 2008, on the same day that he came out with the joint resolution dismissing the charges against the so-called Alabang Boys, namely Richard Brodett, Joseph Tecson and Jorge Joseph.

Panel member Fr. Ranhilio Aquino asked why Bugay declined to disclose pertinent details of the account when the owner of the account himself already gave his consent for the bank official to testify on his account.

Purisima stressed that what is needed is a written waiver authorizing the bank to disclose details of the account. But Resado was not inclined to issue a waiver, except his offer to submit bank statements to the panel.

?The bank representative may not answer with regards to the movement of transactions on that particular account. She may only testify on terminologies, hypothetical questions that the panel might ask but not on specific accounts,? the lawyer stressed.

Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, head of the Special Enforcement Service of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, said the fact that the assailed resolution was issued on Dec. 2 and the bank deposit was made on the same day was already a ?circumstantial evidence of the bribery.?

Despite Resado?s claims that he is willing to waive his privacy under the bank secrecy law, he still refused to make good his statement, the PDEA official said, adding that Resado lost an opportunity to clear his name.