HOUSE prosecution panel trial spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong on Saturday said the Senate impeachment court will ultimately decide whether the former court sheriff punched by Vice President Sara Z. Duterte must testify in her impeachment trial after asking to be excluded from the proceedings.
Alonto Adiong made the statement after former Davao City court sheriff Abe Andres, one of the prosecution’s listed witnesses, appealed to be excluded from what he described as “partisan political matters.”
Speaking at the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City, Alonto Adiong said the prosecution understands Andres’ reluctance to relive his encounter with Duterte.
“We understand the apprehension of Mr. Abe. That’s a raw emotion dahil iyong na-experience po niya kay Vice President ay for a person, it is not something worthy to relive, too,” Alonto Adiong said.
“I mean, at the very least, that’s an embarrassing event on a personal level na nakatanggap ng ganong klaseng treatment sa Vice President na ang kanya lang kasalanan ay ginawa niya ang pag-uutos ng korte sa kanya,” he said.
Andres is the former court sheriff whom Duterte punched during a demolition operation involving informal settlers in 2011 while serving a court order. He is now a human resource management officer at the Supreme Court (SC).
The House prosecution panel included Andres as a potential witness for Article IV of the impeachment complaint. House prosecutor Manila Rep. Joel Chua earlier said Andres is not being presented to relitigate the 2011 incident itself but to help establish Duterte’s alleged violent behavior.
Alonto Adiong said the prosecution merely complied with the impeachment court’s directive by submitting a list of potential witnesses and evidence.
“As a matter of compliance, again, nag-submit po tayo ng mga list of potential evidence. These are potential evidence. At the end of the day, it is the court that will issue an invitation in a subpoena,” he said.
He stressed that it is the Senate impeachment court, not the prosecution, that will determine which witnesses will ultimately testify.
“Ang pagkakaalam po natin, once the court issues a subpoena or invitation, mukhang iyong ating choice whether to appear or not would not no longer be, you know, will no longer be relevant, especially if it’s a subpoena coming from the court,” Alonto Adiong said.
He also rejected the characterization of the impeachment proceedings as partisan politics, saying the Senate is performing a constitutional duty.
“What I’m trying to say is that the court is actually a nonpartisan venue to discuss the accountability mechanism of the Constitution. The Constitution speaks in a manner that does not actually see these charges associated with political partisanship or preferences,” he said.
“Kaya nga sinasabi po natin is that the court has the discretion to issue invitation and subpoena. And kung na-issue naman po ang korte ng subpoena doon sa mga potential witnesses, sabi ko nga po, personal choice is already immaterial. Kasi the court is exercising their constitutional duty to try and decide the case,” he said.
The Senate impeachment court is scheduled to begin trial on July 6 after completing pre-trial proceedings on June 25.
metrosundaily
