Metro Manila, Philippines — Spokespersons of the House prosecution panel criticized the submissions made by Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team during the Impeachment Court’s pre-trial conference, saying they lacked substance and failed to address the allegations against her.
“It’s purely general denial and basically ang nakasaad doon sa kanilang [what was stated in the] pre-trial brief ay pagko-question mismo nung proseso [is questioning the process] which basically it’s (the) narrative of the defense from the very start,” Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said in a press conference on Thursday, June 18.
“Wala silang naipresenta na [They did not present] substantive controverting evidence,” he added.
Adiong said the defense failed to present evidence to rebut allegations of misuse of confidential funds, accumulation of ill-gotten wealth, and bribery.
“Maganda sana kung meron silang maiprepresenta na mga witnesses namagpapatunay kumbaga na sila si Kokoy Villamin, sila si Mary Grace Piattos,” Adiong said, referring to the names that appeared as signatories in acknowledgment receipts attached to the Office of the Vice President’s liquidation reports for confidential funds.
[Translation: It would’ve been better if they have witnesses who would validate that they are Kokoy Villamin or Mary Grace Piattos.]
Kabataan Rep. Renee Co, Adiong’s fellow spokesperson, also questioned the direction of the defense.
“The pre-trial brief sets the tone on how the defense will structure its answers. So kung tunog lata na ang pre-trial briefs [So if the pre-trial brief sounds like a hollow tin can] what more can you expect during the trial proper,” Co said.
“So sa atin, this is clearly hindi na naman pagseseryoso sa proseso. Kasi kung sineseryoso yung proseso, dapat binibigay na yung mga sagot na matagal nang hinihingi ng taong bayan,” she added.
[Translation: So to us, this is clearly not taking the process seriously. If they are serious on the process, they should be issuing a response that the people have long waited for.]
Defense lawyer Michael Poa rejected suggestions that the defense came to the proceedings unprepared.
“Pinaghandaan namin ito ng talagang napakatagal na panahon. So dumating kami nnang handa and the records will speak for itself. Makikita naman siguro sa transcripts,” he said.
[Translation: We have been preparing for this for quite some time. So we came prepared…The transcripts will bear out.]
Members of the prosecution and defense teams faced off for the first time during the pre-trial conference presided by Senate Secretary Rey Bantug as clerk of the impeachment court on Thursday. The proceedings were held behind closed doors, although members of the media were allowed to cover the opening portion, including the formal entry of appearances by both sides.
The parties then proceeded with the stipulation of facts, listing of witnesses, and marking of evidence. However, Poa said the pre-trial was not completed and will continue on Monday, June 22.
Arguments
Both sides acknowledged that disagreements arose during the pre-trial, with Co at one point admitting there was tension, although Poa declined to describe it that way. Still, both camps described the first day of pre-trial as a success.
“That tension, dahil iba yung pinanghahawakan niyong mga argumento [because you have different arguments], that is normal,” Co said, later clarifying that it was part of “normal adversarial proceedings.”
“I think what I can tell you is that both camps, both the prosecution and the defense ventilated their position. And they’re decent enough to, even if there are disagreements which is normal, but they’re decent enough to proceed further to the process of allowing the Impeachment Court to discuss about the evidence and the counter-evidence by both sides,” Adiong said.
Poa said disagreements are a normal part of legal proceedings.
“Pero hindi naman natin masasabing tension na talaga yun [But we can’t say that that’s already tension]. So, it’s normal in any pretrial, even in the, hindi lang sa impeachment, pero sa mga regular na mga kaso, ay normal naman yung mga ganong bagay [not only in impeachment but in regular cases as well, those things are normal],” he said.
Meanwhile, Co expressed disappointment that Duterte did not personally attend the pre-trial conference and was represented instead by her legal team. Poa, however, maintained that the vice president would appear when necessary.
“But sa ngayon, hindi pa natin masasabi kung kailan yun, kung mangyayari,” Poa said.
[Translation: But as of now we cannot say when that will happen, if that will happen.]
The impeachment trial is scheduled to begin on July 6.
Prior to that, newly elected Senate President Win Gatchalian said he would convene an all-senators caucus to discuss the outcome of the pre-trial conference, finalize scheduling, and address security measures following the weeks-long leadership dispute in the chamber.
