THE camp of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte is seeking outright dismissal of the impeachment case because it has no counterevidence to answer the allegations in the Articles of Impeachment, House trial spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said Wednesday.
Alonto Adiong said the vice president’s answer was lengthy but ultimately focused on stopping the case instead of meeting the charges at trial.
“To be honest with you, it’s quite voluminous ‘yung mismo sagot nila. But may gumawa naman din sila ng summary, executive summary ng kanilang mga kasagot,” Alonto Adiong noted on Memo on Bilyonaryo News Channel.
The House prosecution panel earlier filed a manifestation instead of a reply, taking the position that Duterte’s answer did not require a point-by-point response from prosecutors.
“Pero ang position talaga namin doon, kaya ang House prosecution team nagbigay na lang ng manifestation. Dahil paano mo sagutin ‘yung isang bagay na wala naman talagang sagutin,” Alonto Adiong explained.
Alonto Adiong said the defense’s core request is for the impeachment court to dispose of the case before the trial can test the evidence.
“Kumbaga kung i-summarize mo, ang gusto lang talaga nila is ma-dismiss ‘yung kaso. Wala sa Constitution na mayroong choice ang Senado na i-dismiss ang kaso,” Adiong said.
He said the Constitution gives the Senate impeachment court the role of trying and deciding the case, not dismissing it outright before the presentation of evidence.
“Ang choice lang talaga doon is to have a full trial and then reach judgment whether to acquit or to convict. Mahirap mo kasing sagutin din ang isang bagay, ‘yung kanilang naging answer doon, na ang kinu-question nila is ‘yung entire process,” Alonto Adiong stressed.
The prosecution panel has argued that the procedural and constitutional objections raised by the defense are not new and have been repeatedly aired since the House proceedings.
“Kung titignan mo ‘yung kanilang objection, it did not happen just now, it did not happen during the confirmation hearings of the Justice Committee. It already came out last year pa, and rehashed lang talaga siya,” Alonto Adiong said.
Alonto Adiong also noted that the defense is represented by a highly regarded law firm, making its reliance on a limited form of answer more striking to the prosecution.
“Fortune Narvasa. Salazar,” Alonto Adiong said, referring to the defense law firm.
For Alonto Adiong, the decision to seek dismissal reveals weakness in the defense’s ability to confront the substance of the impeachment complaint.
“Sa palagay ko, the reason why they wanted to dismiss the case, appealing or praying for the court to dismiss the case right away or outright dismissal, it’s because they don’t have anything to offer as a counter evidence to refute the allegations contained in the Articles of Impeachment,” Alonto Adiong added.
The impeachment court is expected to proceed to pretrial on June 18 before the trial proper begins in July.
