Members of the House prosecution panel have shot down Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s assertions that her impeachment trial stems from “bending the law,” maintaining that no valid legal grounds exist to suspend the Senate proceedings.
In an online press briefing, House impeachment spokesperson Robert “Ace” Barbers, prosecution counsel Atty. Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr., and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Louise Co systematically addressed Duterte’s grievances regarding the legitimacy of the House process and Senate arrangements.
Barbers noted that the Vice President offered no specifics to back up her allegations.
“Hindi ko alam kung saang banda may ‘bending of the law,’” Barbers said.
Tolosa emphasized that the legal debate over the House proceedings is settled, referencing the Supreme Court’s dismissal of two petitions challenging the process.
“It has dismissed due to mootness the two petitions filed before the High Court to question those proceedings,”Tolosa explained. He pointed out that once the Articles of Impeachment were formally transmitted, jurisdiction transferred fully to the Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court. “Clear, wala nang reason para hindi magtuloy-tuloy itong impeachment proceedings, which are now pending before the Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court.”
Addressing Duterte’s complaints about the Senate’s presiding officer setup, Tolosa dismissed it as “an internal matter that’s already been decided upon by the Senate.” He added that both legal teams have acknowledged the court’s impartiality: “Both parties agree that the presiding officer has been conducting and presiding over these proceedings in a fair, equitable manner.”
The panel reiterated that the heart of the trial remains the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, P500 million under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million under the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s term as Secretary.
Highlighting testimony from Commission on Audit (COA) witness Roderick Wamil regarding deficient documentation, unallowed expense categories, and unverified reward payments, Barbers urged the defense to present actual proof instead of political objections.
“This is the perfect and the most opportune time for the Office of the Vice President to clear her name by showing evidence, showing documents compliant with the joint circular,” Barbers said.
Co reiterated the demand for transparency, noting that substantive answers regarding the audit findings remain missing.
“As it stands, wala pa rin po tayong clear explanation kung bakit ganoon kadami ’yung anomalya sa isinumiteng audit reports for OVP and Department of Education confidential and intelligence fund spending,” Co said.