House prosecutors enter appearance in VP Sara trial; Luistro named lead prosecutor

THE 11-member House prosecution panel on Monday formally entered its appearance before the Senate Impeachment Court at 5:32 p.m. in the impending trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte after senators took their oath and convened as an impeachment tribunal.

The “Formal Entry of Appearance” was personally filed before the Senate Impeachment Court by House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil on behalf of the prosecutors elected by the chamber.

The filing signaled the House’s readiness to proceed with the historic impeachment trial after it voted 257-25, with nine abstentions, to impeach Duterte and transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.

The impeachment articles accuse Duterte of alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.

In the three-page pleading, the 11 House members formally entered their appearance before the impeachment court as public prosecutors in the case against Duterte.

“The undersigned members of the House of Representatives, duly elected by the House of Representatives as members of the prosecution panel, respectfully enter their appearance as Public Prosecutors,” the document stated.

The pleading named House Committee on Justice Chair and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro as lead public prosecutor, with all court processes to be furnished through the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives.

“It is, thus, respectfully requested that, henceforth, all copies of all pleadings, resolutions, decisions, notices, and other processes of this Honorable Court be furnished to the Lead Public Prosecutor, Representative Gerville R. Luistro,” the prosecutors said in the filing.

The pleading was signed by Luistro and fellow public prosecutors Reps. Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list), Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list), Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan City), Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo 3rd District), Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno (Akbayan Party-list), Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Party-list), Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands), Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon 2nd District), Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro 1st District), and Joel Chua (Manila 3rd District).