THE House prosecution is focused on proving its case against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte rather than counting whether it can secure 16 votes for conviction, impeachment team adviser and spokesperson Ace Barbers said Wednesday as he rejected claims that prosecutors were seeking a lower threshold because they could not muster the votes.
“‘Ika nga, let the evidence speak,” Barbers said at a post-trial press briefing.
Barbers was responding to a statement attributed to Duterte spokesperson Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. that the prosecution was looking for a way to lower the conviction threshold because it could not secure 16 votes.
“Well, ako, tingin ko, mali ’yung pananaw,” Barbers said.
“’Yung 16, sa amin sa prosecution kasi, hindi namin pinag-iisipan pa sa ngayon ’yan. Of course, that is a very important and vital issue,” he added.
Barbers said the prosecution’s immediate task was to present testimonial and documentary evidence supporting the allegations contained in the four Articles of Impeachment.
“Ang aming focus ngayon ay ilatag ang mga ebidensya at ipakita na itong mga alegasyon na aming inihayag sa aming apat na Articles of Impeachment ay suportado ng ebidensya, both testimonial and documentary evidence,” he said.
He said the prosecution intends to show through its evidence that the allegations are neither fabricated nor politically motivated.
“This is the time that once we lay down all these evidence, we will prove that ito ay walang halong politika at ito ay hindi haka-haka lamang. Ito ay may ebidensya,” Barbers said.
Duterte’s camp have opposed any change to the 16-vote threshold, warning Wednesday that lowering it could expose senator-judges to government pressure.
Barbers also challenged allegations attributed to Duterte’s camp that some senator-judges were biased against the Vice President.
“Kung sasabihing may pagkiling, ano ang basehan? Dapat ’yun, i-substantiate ’yun. ‘Yun lang ang ating challenge sa kanila,” he said.
Barbers questioned whether Panelo’s claim that prosecutors could not obtain 16 votes itself reflected a lack of confidence in the senator-judges.
“Ang ibig sabihin ba noon, eh wala silang tiwala sa ating mga member ng impeachment court?” he asked.
“Ang ibig bang sabihin noon ay ganoon na lang ba kababaw ’yung kanilang pagtingin sa ating mga senator-judges na maghuhusga o gagawa ng judgment pagdating ng panahon dito sa paglilitis na ito?” he added.
The Senate impeachment court is reconsidering Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s earlier ruling requiring 16 votes, or two-thirds of the full 24-member Senate, to convict Duterte. The prosecution and defense are scheduled to present their arguments on the issue on Sept. 23.
metrosundaily
