House trial spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong has raised concern that the defense pre-trial brief filed on behalf of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte appears designed more to generate confusion than to provide clarity on the issues.
“A pre-trial brief should be a flashlight. It should shine light on the issues. It should help the court, the parties, and the Filipino people understand what the evidence is and what facts are actually in dispute,” Alonto Adiong said.
“Unfortunately, after reading this filing, many Filipinos may conclude that what was submitted is not a flashlight, but a smoke screen,” he added.
Alonto Adiong stressed that pre-trial proceedings are intended to narrow issues, identify relevant evidence, and ensure an orderly and efficient trial process.
“Instead of bringing clarity, this filing appears to generate more questions than answers,” he said.
He said the public is seeking concrete explanations rather than lengthy submissions.
“The public is not asking for more pages. The public is asking for explanations,” he said. “They want to know where public funds went.”
“They want to know how questioned expenditures will be explained,” he added.
“They want to know how allegations involving unexplained wealth will be addressed,” he said.
“They want to know how the evidence supporting the Articles of Impeachment will be rebutted,” he added.
Alonto Adiong said that despite the volume of witnesses and documentary exhibits listed in the filing, the public still lacks clarity on how the Vice President intends to address the core allegations.
“If there are answers, the public expects to see at least a glimpse of them,” he said.
“If there are explanations, the public expected to see where they are headed,” he added.
“If there is a factual defense to these allegations, the public expected to see the outline of that defense,” he said.
“Instead, what many see is a document that makes the issues more complicated without making them any clearer,” he added.
The Mindanao lawmaker said the filing risks creating the impression that the goal is not to clarify the issues but to obscure them through volume and procedure.
“A flashlight helps people see. Smoke makes it harder to see. That is why many people are beginning to ask whether the goal here is to explain the allegations or simply to make them harder to follow,” he said.
Alonto Adiong emphasized that the House prosecution panel respects the constitutional rights of the Vice President and her right to present a defense before the impeachment court.
“She deserves due process. She deserves every opportunity to answer the charges,” he said.
“But the Filipino people deserve answers as well. The Constitution protects the right to defend oneself. It also demands accountability from those entrusted with public office,” he added.
He said the defense pre-trial brief should have been an opportunity to directly address public concerns.
“The defense pre-trial brief was an opportunity to begin answering the people’s questions. Instead, it appears to have reinforced the reason why the impeachment trial must proceed,” he said.
“Because after all the pages have been counted and all the exhibits have been listed, the same fundamental questions remain,” he added.
“And until those questions are answered, the Filipino people will continue to demand the truth,” Alonto Adiong said.