THE House prosecution on Saturday said it has laid the evidentiary foundation for its grave threat case against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte after presenting its first witness, with succeeding testimonies expected to build on the evidence already introduced before the Senate impeachment court.
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno likened the prosecution’s presentation of evidence to constructing a house, saying the opening week of the impeachment trial was devoted to establishing a solid foundation before presenting the rest of its case.
“Ang trabaho ng prosecution ay parang magtatayo kami ng bahay. Hindi naman tayo pwedeng magtayo ng bahay kung walang pundasyon,” Diokno said during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
Diokno said the prosecution intentionally began by presenting National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Senior Agent John Mark Calilung, whose testimony authenticated the video recordings at the center of the impeachment charge accusing Duterte of making grave threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.
“‘Yung nangyari nitong unang linggo ng ating paglilitis ay mismo ‘yung paglalagay ng pundasyon sa kaso,” he said.
“Itong mga darating na linggo, ang makikita natin, ‘yung bahay na mismo ang itatayo.”
He said the prosecution aims not only to persuade the senator-judges but also to clearly show the public the factual and constitutional basis for the impeachment complaint.
“Ang purpose syempre noon ay makita ng lahat, hindi lang naman yung mga senator-judge, kundi pati ang nanonood na publiko, kung ano ba talaga ang basehan, kung bakit ba may ganitong Articles of Impeachment, at bakit umaabot siya doon sa paglabag sa ating Konstitusyon o pagtataksil sa tiwala na binigay ng mamamayan sa ating mga leader,” Diokno said.
Former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, spokesperson and adviser to the House prosecution panel, said Calilung fulfilled the specific role assigned to him by laying the evidentiary groundwork for the prosecution’s case.
“Ang witness na ipinakilala at ipinakita dito sa trial na ito ay ang nag-lay out ng foundation,” Barbers said.
Barbers said succeeding witnesses will reinforce that foundation by explaining the significance of the authenticated recordings and presenting the findings of the NBI investigation.
“Ang mga subsequent witnesses and evidence that will be presented will definitely give more strength doon sa kaso na inilatag,” he said.
He identified NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc as among the prosecution’s next witnesses, saying Lotoc is expected to testify on the bureau’s investigation and explain the importance of the authenticated recordings as the panel continues presenting evidence before the Senate impeachment court.
metrosundaily
