De Lima, Diokno to join House prosecution team in Duterte impeachment
Metro Manila, Philippines - Rights lawyers Leila de Lima and Chel Diokno will be among the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
De Lima and Diokno, nominees of Mamamayang Liberal and Akbayan party-lists, respectively, have accepted House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s offer to be part of the prosecution team.
They are expected to be counted as members of Congress as their party-lists are among those leading in the midterm race.
"My decision comes from a place of duty and principle. I have always stood for truth, accountability, and the rule of law—across different administrations, regardless of political affiliation. That commitment remains unchanged," De Lima, a former senator and justice chief, said in a statement.
A staunch critic of the bloody drug war of then President Rodrigo Duterte, De Lima was accused and detained for most of the Duterte administration over drug charges. All her cases in three regional trial court branches were dismissed.
“As the principal endorser of the first impeachment complaint and after thorough party deliberations, we extend our full support to this historic process of accountability,” Akbayan said in a statement. “Buong tapang na tinatanggap ng Akbayan ang bagong kabanata ng laban para sa katarungan at pananagutan.”
[Translation: Akbayan accepted with courage the new chapter of this fight for justice and accountability.]
Romualdez noted De Lima and Diokno’s “unquestioned legal expertise.”
“They are not just veteran lawyers, they are public servants with a lifelong record of upholding the rule of law and protecting democratic institutions. Their involvement would be a valuable contribution to ensuring that the proceedings are fair, principled, and rooted in the public interest,” Romualdez said in a separate statement.
Citing graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes, 215 House lawmakers impeached Duterte in February.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the Senate may convene as an impeachment court in July after the State of the Nation Address.
