MANILA — The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte has criticized the Senate majority for remaining silent following the prosecution’s withdrawal of two impeachment articles against her, claiming the dropped charges resulted in a billion-peso waste of public funds.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 14, Atty. Paolo Panelo, spokesperson for the Vice President, questioned the lack of public outrage from senators after the prosecution dropped Article I on alleged confidential fund misuse and Article IV on grave threats.
Panelo noted that these dropped charges consumed 20 trial days, which he estimated cost approximately ₱25 million daily for Senate operations alone.
Factoring in congressional salaries, legal representation, consultants, media personnel, and previous proceedings at the House of Representatives, Panelo estimated that the total expenditure easily surpassed ₱1 billion.
“Twenty (20) trial days were spent on Articles I (misuse of confidential funds) and IV (grave threats) — articles the prosecution has now withdrawn,” Panelo said.
“I’m no expert on ‘sensitivity analysis’ but you could reasonably estimate that the total public cost of these now-abandoned articles easily exceeds one (1) billion pesos,” he added.
Describing the withdrawal as an “injustice,” Panelo argued that the move exposed the lack of foundational merit behind the allegations while robbing the Vice President of a formal opportunity for exoneration.
“The withdrawal is an admission that the allegations lacked basis from the very beginning,” Panelo stated, adding that it “deprives the Vice President of the opportunity to confront these charges and present countervailing evidence in the proper forum, which is the Senate Impeachment Court.”
“More than that, it deprived her of the vindication of the acquittal she deserves if the Court ruled only on the basis of evidence and law,” he continued.
Panelo further challenged the Senate majority for their quiet stance on the matter, questioning whether lawmakers felt regret over the squandered time and resources that could have otherwise addressed national concerns.
“Hindi ba nasayang ang oras ninyo? Hindi ba kayo nanghihinayang na nagamit sana ang panahon para tugunan ang mga kritikal na pangangailangan ng bansa?” he asked.
He also raised concerns regarding potential political motives, questioning whether the actions were tied to the upcoming 2028 elections and the status of leading presidential contenders.
“The silence is deafening. Huwag naman kayong masyadong halata,” Panelo concluded.