The House prosecution panel on Thursday expressed disappointment over Vice President Sara Duterte’s failure to attend the closed-door pre-trial conference of her impeachment case at the Senate.
During a press briefing at the House of Representatives, prosecution spokespersons Rep. Renee Louise Co (Kabataan Party-list) and Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (Lanao del Sur, 1st District) pointed out that Duterte’s absence contradicts her previous public statements asserting her readiness to defend herself in the proper forum.
“Vice President Sara Duterte was not personally present during the pre-trial conference despite earlier statements that she expressed readiness and willingness to face the charges at the proper court,” Co said.
“Instead, she was represented by a legal counsel who appeared and acted on her behalf before the impeachment court,” she added.
While Co acknowledged that Senate impeachment rules legally permit defense lawyers to represent their clients during these initial stages, she stressed that the public anticipated the Vice President’s personal attendance given the severity of the case.
“People are expecting VP Sara Duterte to show up in the pre-trial conference and even on the days that the trial proper will continue. Bakit po? Ito po’y dahil ilang taon na pong hindi nasasagot ‘yung mga tanong ng taong bayan. And any further evasion is going to be another day, another week, another year of denial of justice. Ayaw na natin ng ganoon,” she said.
Duterte had previously bypassed all panel hearings held by the House Committee on Justice during the initial evaluation of the complaints. The House has since approved and transmitted the formal articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial.
Representative Adiong argued that Duterte’s physical presence at the Senate would have signaled respect for the process and the gravity of the accusations.
“Well unang-una, it speaks about how serious she is in facing these allegations. The presence is important,” he said.
Adiong added that the impending trial is an unprecedented moment in modern Philippine governance, as it marks the first time the nation’s second-highest leader faces potential removal from office over constitutional violations.
“This will be a historic impeachment trial. Nowhere in Philippine history have we experienced the second highest official in the land faces serious allegations, culpable violations of the Constitution, which constitute impeachable offense,” Adiong said.
He maintained that appearing in person would have reassured the public that the Vice President had nothing to hide from the high court.
“I think it would be proper and would be more attuned to the demand of the people that she appears in the trial, in the pre-trial conference, to display her seriousness and her attempt, really, to face the charges and also to show na wala siyang tinatago at wala siyang kinakatakutan,” Adiong said.
“This is the direct opposite of what we have heard in the previous months, that she will appear in the proper forum, which now is the impeachment court,” he said.
“Para sa amin, para sa taong bayan, mas magiging tapat ‘yung kanyang sinasabi na wala siyang kasalanan kung maipakita niya na siya mismo ang humarap sa impeachment court, in this case, in the pre-trial conference.”