HOUSE trial spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong on Wednesday said the pre-trial brief submitted by Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s defense team appears to be more voluminous than responsive, failing to directly address the allegations that will be examined during the impeachment trial.
“After reviewing the defense pre-trial brief, one cannot help but notice that it is long on pages but short on answers,” Alonto Adiong said.
“The filing spans 72 pages, cites more than a hundred witnesses, and lists hundreds of documentary exhibits. But the question that ordinary Filipinos are asking remains unanswered: Nasaan ang malinaw at direktang pagsagot sa mga alegasyon?” Alonto Adiong asked.
Alonto Adiong stressed that the issue is not the length of the filing but the apparent absence of a clear factual defense to the charges contained in the Articles of Impeachment.
“Hindi naman po paramihan ng pahina ang usapan dito. Hindi rin paramihan ng testigo o dokumento. Ang sukatan ng isang depensa ay kung nasasagot nito ang mga alegasyon. At sa pagbabasa namin ng filing, mas marami pa itong naiwang tanong kaysa nasagot,” he said.
The House trial spokesperson noted that many of the witnesses and documents listed by the defense appear to be drawn from the very evidence already identified and submitted by the prosecution.
“Ang nakakagulat, marami sa mga testigo at dokumentong kanilang inilista ay mula rin sa mga ebidensyang matagal nang inihain ng prosecution. This raises a legitimate question: What exactly is the defense’s independent factual narrative?” He asked.
According to Alonto Adiong, a pre-trial brief serves a critical purpose in helping the impeachment court identify the issues, evidence, and witnesses that are genuinely material to the case.
“A serious pre-trial brief should clarify issues, identify the relevance of witnesses, and assist the tribunal in focusing on what matters. Unfortunately, what we see here are broad and sweeping descriptions repeatedly applied to almost every witness and document,” Alonto Adiong said.
He emphasized that the House prosecution panel fully supports Vice President Duterte’s constitutional right to present her defense and have her day in court.
“Let me be clear: the Vice President has every right to present evidence, call witnesses, and defend herself before the impeachment court. We welcome that. In fact, we want the process to move forward precisely because the Filipino people deserve answers,” he said.
Alonto Adiong said the filing ultimately reinforces the need for a full impeachment trial.
“If the objective was to convince the public that there is no longer a need for a trial, the filing accomplished the opposite. It demonstrates why the Senate must proceed with the proceedings and hear the evidence in full,” he said.
“The most important thing revealed by the defense pre-trial brief is that there are still many questions that require answers. Kung mayroon nang malinaw na paliwanag sa lahat ng alegasyon, dapat nakita na natin ito ngayon. Sa halip, mas naging malinaw kung bakit kailangang ituloy ang paglilitis,” Alonto Adiong said.
“The Constitution provides only one forum where these issues can finally be resolved. That forum is the impeachment court. The Filipino people have waited long enough for the truth. It is time to proceed and let the evidence speak,” Alonto Adiong said.
