VP Duterte Impeachment Trial Hinges on Evidence Disclosure

MANILA, Philippines —“If evidence and evidence alone will be the basis, 100 percent, [Vice President] Sara Duterte will be convicted.” This is how Akbayan Party-list Representative Perci Cendaña answered on Monday when asked in an interview about the probability of Duterte being convicted. Cendaña argued that when they first moved to open the vice president’s bank accounts during the House of Representatives’ Committee on Justice impeachment hearings, they had already noted inconsistencies in Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth. According to Cendaña, “It is necessary for the public, and the Senate, to see the evidence. Do not lock up the evidence because the truth is not confidential.”) READ: Duterte impeachment trial day 7: Court to rule on tax, bank records He made the remarks on the same day that the impeachment court is expected to rule on the prosecution team’s subpoena request on Duterte’s bank and tax records, as several groups gathered outside the Senate to protest. Akbayan Party-list, Magdalo, Mamamayang Liberal, EveryWoman, Tindig Pilipinas, among others, called for the immediate opening of Duterte’s bank accounts. Moreover, Akbayan President Rafaela David told reporters that it isn’t only Duterte that is on trial this Monday as even the senator-judges are being closely watched by the public. “We hope later today that the Senate will vote in favor of the truth and accountability,” David said. READ: Impeach court to rule on subpoena plea for Duterte’s bank, tax records July 20 The House prosecution panel requested to subpoena the documents in relation to Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth under Article II of the Impeachment Articles. Senator-judges will have up to 10 minutes each to ask clarificatory questions to both the prosecution and the defense teams, with a maximum of one hour for each side, before they vote whether to grant the subpoena requests for the bank and tax records of Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio, and the businesses allegedly linked to the couple./coa