AS Vice President Sara Z. Duterte celebrates her birthday, House trial spokesperson and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co said Sunday the best way to mark the occasion is for the vice president to answer long-standing calls for accountability by fully participating in the impeachment process.
Speaking in an interview over Super Radyo dzBB’s Bantay Balita sa Kongreso with Nimfa Ravelo and Isa Avendaño-Umali, Co said the House prosecution panel’s “gift” to Duterte is the opportunity to be accorded due process and respond to the allegations against her before the Senate impeachment court.
“Well, sagutin sana ang wish ng taumbayan sa kanyang kaarawan ang matagal nang hinahanap sa kanya ‘yung pagharap sa proseso ng pananagutan,” Co said.
The trial spokesperson said that even amid political tensions surrounding the impeachment, the constitutional process provides Duterte a venue to respond to the accusations and present her side.
“Despite everything that’s happening, ang gift natin kay VP Sara ay ‘yung due process, ‘yung pag-iisa-isa ng mga hakbang sa proseso para kung anumang alegasyon laban sa kanya [ay] masagot po niya nang maayos,” she said.
Co added that Duterte should maximize the opportunity, noting that many ordinary Filipinos facing legal proceedings are not afforded the same care for due process or a public platform to respond to allegations.
“So sana po hawakan niya at ma-enjoy ‘yung birthday wish ng due process,” she said.
Duterte’s legal counsels have said the vice president will answer the allegations during the impeachment trial, which they maintain is the proper forum for her defense given their objections to the House proceedings.
Co said the prosecution panel expects a substantive response, describing the trial as Duterte’s final opportunity to directly address the allegations before the Filipino people. She added that during the House proceedings, the vice president largely responded through procedural arguments rather than engaging the substance of the charges.
“Pinanghahawakan po natin ang sinasabi niya na magsusumite siya ng sagot. Hinihintay na rin po ng taumbayan ‘yung depensa niya na hindi lang po teknikalidad lang o procedural pero ‘yung straightforward answer to the allegations, to the articles of impeachment,” Co said.
“So ito na po kasi yung huling pagkakataon ni VP Sara para ilatag ‘yung kanyang sagot, ‘yung depensa,” she added.
Co stressed that the impeachment proceedings will continue even without a direct response. However, she said that failure to present a substantive defense could weaken the vice president’s position before the Senate impeachment court, which already found probable cause to prosecute her based on available evidence and testimonies.
“Lahat po ito, kung hindi isagot, tuloy-tuloy ang paglilitis pa rin. At kung walang depensa ni VP, more likely than not, it will lead to a conviction dahil the House Committee on Justice found probable cause,” she said.
“Kung walang depensa, edi paano siya irerebut? So ngayon po hinihintay na po ng taumbayan. Kasi taon-taon na rin po ang hinihintay ng lahat,” she added.
The Senate impeachment court issued a writ of summons directing Duterte to answer the articles of impeachment on May 18, which she received on May 20. Under Senate rules, she has 10 days from receipt to file her answer, after which the House prosecution panel has five days to submit its reply.
Duterte is expected to submit her answer on June 1, the deadline set by the impeachment court. Once the prosecution receives her response and files its reply, the Senate is expected to set the schedules for the pre-trial and trial proper.
Tentative schedules discussed in media reports place the pre-trial conference on July 6, about a month after Congress adjourns, with the trial proper possibly beginning in late July after the State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The four articles of impeachment accuse Duterte of alleged confidential fund misuse amounting to P612.5 million, unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats against top government officials.
During the trial proper, both prosecution and defense will present evidence and witnesses before the Senate impeachment court. A two-thirds vote, or at least 16 of the 24 senator-judges, is required to convict the vice president.
If convicted, Duterte would become the first Philippine vice president removed from office and perpetually disqualified from holding public office.
