House Prosecutors to Disclose Evidence for a Week in VP Sara's Impeachment Trial

MANILA, Philippines — The House prosecution team is set to present evidence for a week as the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte kicks off today. The team aims to pin down the Vice President on allegations of hatching an assassination plot against the First Couple and committing grave threats and inciting sedition against the Marcos government. Lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro of Batangas’ 2nd district announced that Senior Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo 3rd district) will present Article IV, which details the charges of grave threats. Defensor has been allotted 11 trial dates by the Senate impeachment court to prove the allegations. "Let us allow the truth to be laid out directly from the evidence – not from mere propaganda. Let the law prevail, not politics," said House prosecution adviser and former Surigao del Norte lawmaker Robert Ace Barbers. He stressed that the prosecution's role is to present evidence in accordance with constitutional procedures. Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Louise Co added, "Tomorrow is the day. It’s not drama and it’s not about any cover up. The trial process should be allowed to prevail where the defense also has all the right to respond. The public has the right to know. Let us end the process and nobody should stand in the way." Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Norte’s 1st district stated that their camp will not resort to political rhetoric and is prepared to present its case in an orderly and professional manner. "Our preparation is focused on the evidence, the witnesses and the process. The impeachment court is the right place where these issues should be threshed out, and we’re prepared to do our duty under the constitution," he vowed. Barbers also urged Duterte's defense team to allow the public unsealing of a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box containing her tax records. "They should not be afraid of the evidence. If it supports the prosecution’s case, then this piece of evidence must be considered. The court should accept this," he told radio dzBB, noting that the defense panel has also accepted the box as their evidence. The sealed BIR box, containing the income tax returns of Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, became a point of contention during the pre-trial conference. The defense proposed opening it only during a closed-door executive session, leading to a deadlock where the clerk of court could not formally mark it as evidence. Consequently, the Senate ordered the box returned to the House of Representatives. Barbers described the move as a "temporary setback" but vowed that the prosecution would reintroduce the box once the trial shifts to specific allegations of unexplained wealth.