House lead prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said Vice President Sara Duterte has a constitutional obligation to appear before the Senate impeachment court when her trial begins on July 6.
She issued the statement following remarks from the defense panel indicating that Duterte’s attendance would depend on legal advice and whether her presence is deemed necessary.
The Batangas solon pointed out that under impeachment procedures, a failure to appear does not halt proceedings and is instead treated as a plea of not guilty.
“And her non-appearance will simply be deemed as an entry of a plea of not guilty,” Luistro said.
Despite this, Luistro maintained that appearing before the impeachment court is part of the accountability expected from public officials.
“In my personal opinion, appearing before the impeachment court is likewise a constitutional duty which public officials must comply with,” she added.
Luistro anchored her position on the constitutional principle that public office is a public trust, stressing that officials are accountable to the people at all times.
“This is what we meant by public office is a public trust, and public officials must be accountable to the people at all times,” she said.
The Senate impeachment court has already concluded pre-trial proceedings and is set to issue its pre-trial order ahead of the formal start of the trial.