House prosecution panel adviser and spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers has urged Vice President Sara Duterte to attend her Senate impeachment trial in person, calling the court the right arena for her to confront the charges.
During a radio interview on Sunday, the former Surigao del Norte representative reminded Duterte of her previous statements that she would address the controversies in due time and in the right setting.
“Ito ho ‘yung pagkakataon na tayo ay makakasagot, gaya ng inyong sinasabi ‘at the proper time, at the proper forum, sasagutin ko lahat yan.’ And this is the perfect time and forum,” said Barbers.
Barbers noted that the trial offers the Vice President a platform to substantiate her claims that the accusations are purely fabricated and politically driven.
“Ito na ang pagkakataon na patunayan na lahat ng, base sa kanilang mga allegations, na ito ay isang politically motivated activity o ito ay isang haka haka o gawa gawa lamang—fabricated daw po ang lahat. This is the perfect opportunity na ma-disprove lahat po yan,” he added.
He stressed that Duterte should honor her commitment to face the allegations, adding that her personal appearance would show respect for the country’s legal systems and constitutional framework.
“Kung ako ang tatanungin ay talagang mas mahalaga na nandoon siya nang sa ganun ipakita niya na siya ay rumerespeto sa ating rule of law, siya ay handa sumuporta at ipakita ang kanyang paniniwala sa isyu ng accountability at, of course, pagrespeto sa impeachment court na binubuo ng ating mga senador,” he said.
Furthermore, Barbers explained that participating in the proceedings allows the Vice President to directly refute the charges while demonstrating her willingness to adhere to constitutional accountability mechanisms.
“Number two, because they claim that she was falsely accused, then this is the perfect time na mali ang kanilang mga alegasyon dahil ito ang aking ebidensyang ipapakita. Number three, ito ay isang pagpapakita rin ng pagsusubmit o pagsurrender sa isang mekanismo ng accountability na sinasabi sa ating saligang batas,” Barbers added.
The trial comes after the House of Representatives approved four Articles of Impeachment against Duterte, citing allegations of confidential fund misuse, bribery, unexplained wealth, and grave threats directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The Senate is scheduled to formally convene as an impeachment court today, July 6, to start the trial.