Ridon, Tolosa merely explaining impeachment proceedings – Barbers

MANILA, Philippines — Former Rep. Robert Ace Barbers believes that House panel members Rep. Terry Ridon and lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr. were merely attempting to explain the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, not influence the senator-judges. Barbers said Ridon and Tolosa were just trying to make the issue understandable and relatable to the senator-judges. "Perhaps there were some expressions in the desire to make the issue understandable and relatable to the senator-judges," Barbers said. He added that the two were trying to make the impeachment proceedings and the accusations against the Vice President easier for the senator-judges to comprehend. The statement comes amid heightened political tension in the Philippines, with the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President being a subject of intense public interest. Barbers' remarks aim to de-escalate the situation by emphasizing that there was no intent to directly influence the senator-judges. Impeachment proceedings in the Philippines are a political accountability mechanism for high-ranking public officials, including the President and Vice President, with strictly defined processes. Past impeachment proceedings have also been focal points of national politics.