MANILA 6th District Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. said Saturday that, in his personal assessment, the House prosecution has already presented sufficient evidence to convict Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial before the Senate.
Abante made the statement at the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City as he cited the alleged threats Duterte aired against the President, the First Lady, and the former House Speaker, as well as questions surrounding confidential-fund spending.
“Guilty na siya. I think that what the prosecution team has actually said is enough, ” Abante said.
“Yung threat lang na ibinigay ng Vice President that is already enough. It is betrayal of public trust,” he added.
Abante said his position was based on the matters he had seen raised in the House and subsequently presented in the Senate trial. For him, the proceedings must continue until the evidence has been fully heard and the impeachment court reaches a conclusion.
The prosecution has so far presented the testimonies of witnesses from the National Bureau of Investigation in connection with the grave threats issue and two state auditors of the Commission on Audit in relation to the alleged confidential fund misuse.
Next week, the prosecution has lined up among its witnesses officials linked to the withdrawal and handling of the funds, particularly OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta and former DepEd special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda.
Abante, along with Deputy Speaker Francisco Paolo Ortega V (La Union), was one of the endorsers of the fourth impeachment complaint filed against VP Duterte before the House of Representatives, which became one of the bases for the filing of the Articles of Impeachment against her at the Senate.
Meanwhile, the Manila lawmaker also announced during the forum that he intends to take a more active interest in the proceedings.
“The thing is, I am just a silent participant in the impeachment trial,” Abante said. “Pero ako, magiging aktibo na ako dito,” he added.
Abante said he planned to observe the proceedings regularly so he could personally follow the presentation and testing of the evidence before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.
“In fact, balak ko na talagang mag-attend araw-araw sa impeachment trial para makita ko talaga ang nangyayari,” he said.
Abante rejected the idea that political pressure or possible electoral consequences should cause lawmakers who supported the case to withdraw from the accountability process.
He maintained that officials who endorsed the complaint should see the process through while respecting the Senate’s exclusive authority to try and decide the case.
For Abante, walking away before the constitutional process reaches its conclusion is not an option.
Abante said prosecutors must prove the articles, the defense must be heard, and the senator-judges must render the verdict.
metrosundaily
