House impeachment spokesperson and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co on Thursday branded Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment pre-trial brief as “tunog lata,” saying it contained little substance and did not directly tackle the core allegations.
Rep. Co said the defense failed to use the pre-trial stage to clarify key issues in the Articles of Impeachment, and instead leaned mainly on general denials.
“The pre-trial brief sets the tone on how the defense will structure its answers. So kung ‘tunog lata’ na ang pre-trial brief, what more can we expect during the trial proper?” she said in a press briefing on the first day of the pre-trial conference.
She said the public has long been seeking answers to allegations of misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, corruption, and threats against top government officials.
“Kasi kung sineseryoso ang proseso, dapat binibigay na ‘yung mga sagot na matagal nang hinihingi ng taong-bayan,” Co said.
The prosecution spokesperson said the defense brief only indicated that witnesses and documentary evidence would be presented, without explaining how these would directly rebut the allegations.
“Wala pong pagdedetalye kung bakit po ini-introduce ‘yung evidence na ito, kung bakit ini-introduce ‘yung witness na ito,” she added.
Rep. Co also cited issues raised in the case involving acknowledgment receipts tied to confidential fund expenditures, including records bearing the name “Mary Grace Piattos,” which prosecutors have repeatedly pointed to.
“How do you provide evidence to controvert the PSA certification that there is no ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ in their records, if you cannot show who she is?” she said.
She emphasized that the pre-trial stage is meant to define issues and establish the framework of each party’s arguments.
“Supposedly, that is laid out during the pre-trial brief and conference. We did not see that,” she said.
Rep. Co urged the public to closely follow the explanations that will be presented once the impeachment trial proper begins on July 6, after the completion of pre-trial proceedings.