The House prosecution team is brushing off the defense’s tactics in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, calling their focus on minor clerical errors a deliberate attempt to divert attention from critical testimonies.
Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong, speaking for the prosecution panel, argued that the defense is merely trying to steer the conversation away from the core evidence in favor of minor technicalities.
Adiong expressed this sentiment on Monday evening, July 13, urging the public and the court to stay focused on the substance of the case:
“Huwag tayong malihis. Ibalik natin ang usapan sa testimonya ng testigo, hindi sa encoding ng mga dokumento.”
These remarks came after the defense cross-examined National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, a crucial witness for the prosecution and former head of the bureau’s cybercrime division.
Earlier that day, Lotoc testified that the death threats Duterte reportedly made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and Speaker Martin Romualdez in November 2024 were “serious, actual, and real,” warning they could lead to lawlessness if ignored.
However, during the cross-examination, the defense focused heavily on administrative inconsistencies within the NBI’s supporting paperwork, such as a transcription error where the word “ma’am” was mistakenly written as “mama.”
Adiong was critical of this approach, emphasizing that the trial is about major constitutional infractions rather than secretarial blunders:
“Hindi nila binabago ang testimonya. Binabago lamang nila ang paksa ng usapan. Hindi po spelling contest ang impeachment trial.”
He maintained that the court must evaluate the weight of the actual evidence rather than administrative oversights:
“Ang ebidensiya ang dapat pag-usapan, hindi ang encoding.”
Highlighting that the final verdict rests on the facts presented rather than typos, Adiong concluded:
“Sa dulo, hindi typo ang huhusgahan ng impeachment court. Ang huhusgahan ay kung ano ang ipinakita ng ebidensiya at kung ano ang pinatunayan ng testimonya. Doon dapat manatili ang ating pansin.”