The Filipino people will be closely watching the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, including how senator-judges weigh the evidence and decide the case, House lead prosecutor Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro said Monday.
Luistro, who also chairs the House Committee on Justice, said the prosecution panel has faith and confidence in the senators who will sit as judges in the impeachment court, despite questions over pending cases involving some of them.
“We express again our faith and confidence to all of them as the senator-judges of this upcoming impeachment trial,” Luistro said during a press briefing.
Asked whether pending cases against some senator-judges could affect the proceedings, Luistro said these matters should not be tied to the impeachment trial.
“Well, for me, I do not consider those cases against the senator-judges as related in any way to this impeachment proceeding. Iba ’yun. Those are separate and distinct from this impeachment process,” she said.
Luistro said senator-judges, like any accused person, are entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence.
“And as I have said, they have constitutional right to be presumed innocent until the contrary is proved,” she said.
“So ’yung aming pagkilala sa mga senator-judges, whether or not they have pending cases, should be the same,” she added.
Luistro stressed that the prosecution panel’s duty is to present evidence, while the power to acquit or convict Duterte rests solely with the Senate impeachment court.
“Well, of course, alam natin ’yun na 16 ang kailangan to get a conviction,” she said when asked about the number of votes needed to convict.
“But that is beyond our duty already. As far as we are concerned, our constitutional duty is to present evidence,” she added.
“And it is for the senator-judges to decide whether to acquit or to convict,” Luistro said.
She said both the House prosecutors and the senator-judges remain answerable to the public throughout the proceedings.
“But let us remind the public, we are aware that the sovereign Filipino people will be keenly observing what will be happening in this impeachment trial,” Luistro said.
“For us in the prosecution, we are aware that we are likewise responsible to the Filipino people in the same way that the senator-judges will be responsible with regards to the decision that they will be making to this impeachment trial,” she added.
Luistro said the verdict should ultimately follow the evidence presented during trial.
“We will be presenting evidence and the decision of the senator-judges should be aligned to the evidence that was presented or which will be presented by the prosecution,” she said.
“If the evidence is strong and the decision is acquittal, I think the Filipino people will be minding that because they are interested as well in this impeachment trial,” she added.
The House prosecution panel has said it is prepared to proceed and is awaiting official notice from the Senate impeachment court on the pre-trial and trial schedule.