Metro Manila, Philippines — Some senator-judges appear to be acting as lawyers in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte instead of remaining impartial, Malacañang said on Thursday, Aug. 6.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said the Presidential Communications Office has observed some senator-judges taking on the role of counsel, but declined to identify them. She said the public could see for themselves which senator-judges were cross-examining witnesses instead of merely asking clarificatory questions.
“Nag-aaktong mga lawyer na hindi dapat [They are acting like lawyers, which they should not be doing],” Castro said.
“Dahil dapat maging impartial, manatiling walang bias ang mga senador-judges. So hindi po [nila] mandato na walisin ang katotohanan,” she added.
[Translation: They are supposed to remain impartial and unbiased as senator-judges. It is not their mandate to sweep the truth under the rug.]
“Hindi po sila dapat nakikipagdebate sa witness kasi ang mandato nila kunin ang katotohanan para sa taumbayan, hindi para walisin ang batas, walisin ang dapat na malaman ng tao para lang pagtakpan ang kalokohan diumano ng iba,” she also said.
[Translation: They should not be debating with witnesses. Their mandate is to uncover the truth for the Filipino people, not to disregard the law or suppress facts simply to cover up the alleged wrongdoing of others.]
Castro made the remarks when asked what President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. thought of the testimony of state auditor Roderick Wamil during Day 13 of the impeachment trial on Wednesday. She said the president would not comment on the trial and only wanted the impeachment process to be followed.
“Kung ano ang sinasabi ng batas, kung ano ang sinasabi ng ebidensya sana ay huwag walisin, huwag linisin at pahinain ang katotohanan at lihisin kung ano ang sinasabi ng batas,” she said.
[Translation: What the law says and what the evidence shows should not be brushed aside, distorted, weakened, or diverted from what the law provides.]
Asked which statement by a senator-judge the Palace considered the most biased, Castro replied: “Na ang dapat managot lamang ay ang special disbursing officer. Nakalimutan na may head of agency [The issue that only the special disbursing officer should be held accountable. They seem to have forgotten that there is also a head of agency].”
During Day 13 of the impeachment trial on Wednesday, Senator-judge Imee Marcos said that, contrary to state auditor Roderick Wamil’s testimony, special disbursing officers Gina Acosta and Edward Fajarda should be considered the accountable officers for the alleged failure to liquidate confidential funds.
Wamil maintained that Duterte should be considered the accountable officer as head of the Office of the Vice President, as well as the Department of Education when she served as its secretary.
Acosta and Fajarda have been subpoenaed to testify in next week’s trial, which centers on Duterte’s alleged misuse of a total of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds.
