House prosecution panel adviser and spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers said Monday the first day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial should not be treated as a win-or-loss moment, but as the formal start of the constitutional process.
Speaking after the Day 1 hearing, Barbers said the most important development was that the Senate impeachment trial had finally begun despite earlier claims that it would not push through.
“The notion that nanalo o natalo ang prosecution, mali po yan,” Barbers said. “Dahil ang nangyari ngayong araw na ito, nakita naman natin na nag-umpisa ang trial.”
Barbers said several narratives had circulated before the proceedings suggesting that the trial might not proceed.
“Napakaraming sinabi before the trial started kasi maraming stories na hindi daw ito matutuloy,” he said.
He also downplayed the impeachment court’s order returning the sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue box to the tax bureau, saying the move did not erase its evidentiary value.
“Yes, totoo binalik ang BIR box, but this does not mean nawala na ang evidentiary value ng ebidensyang ito,” Barbers said.
Barbers said the prosecution may present the records again at the proper stage of the trial.
“At the proper time, ibabalik po ito, i-o-offer po ulit ito ng ating prosecution, and hopefully the court will admit this as an evidence,” he said.
He stressed that the records remain relevant even if they are not yet in the custody of the impeachment court.
“So sa ngayon ay nandiyan lang iyan at hindi naman nawawala ang kanyang value as an evidence,” Barbers said.
Barbers said the prosecution would continue presenting evidence as the trial proceeds.
“So as the trial progresses, I’m sure marami pang mga itutulak ang ating prosecution para mapagtibay ang articles of impeachment against the respondent,” he said.