THE House prosecution panel on Monday formally entered its appearance before the Senate impeachment court and declared its readiness to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.
Lead prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro introduced the House panel before the impeachment court led by its presiding officer, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
“We are 11 House prosecutors and 15 private prosecutors … We are ready, Your Honor,” Luistro told the impeachment court.
Escudero then directed the members of the House panel and the lawyers assisting them to individually enter their appearances for the record.
Aside from Luistro, the panel of prosecutors includes Reps. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno (Akbayan Party-list), Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Party-list), Joel Chua (Manila, 3rd District), Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands), Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo, 3rd District), Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon, 2nd District), Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan, Lone District), Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list), Ramon Rodrigo “Rodge” Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list), and Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro, 1st District).
Assisting the House panel under its direct control and supervision are 15 counsel for the prosecutors.
Fourteen personally entered their appearances before the impeachment court: Attys. Lorna Kapunan, Armando Virgilio Ligutan, Mae Divinagracia, Sonya Margarita Castillo, Lino Chris Kapunan, Deanne Melissa Lorenzo-Singian, Marforth Fua, Erwin Matib, Justine Anne Lamarca, James Bryan Ibrahim Alih, Reynaldo Robles, Bettina Nepomuceno Zamora, Theodore Te, and Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr.
During the proceedings, Escudero clarified that under the Senate Rules on Impeachment, House members should be referred to as the “panel of prosecutors of the House of Representatives,” while the private lawyers assisting them should be referred to as “counsel for the prosecutors.”
After the roll call, Escudero asked Luistro to confirm the total number of prosecutors and counsel appearing for the House.
Luistro informed the impeachment court that while only 14 counsel for the prosecutors personally entered their appearances during Monday’s proceedings, all 15 had already filed their written entries of appearance with the impeachment court.
She explained that the House assembled a larger legal team because the four Articles of Impeachment would be presented by separate prosecution teams.
“The Articles of Impeachment will be presented by four separate teams, Your Honor. That explains why the panel of prosecutors is joined by 15 counsel for the prosecutors,” Luistro said.
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