VP Sara Duterte impeachment trial: Defense counsel says too early to claim wins

It is too early to count the wins and losses of the defense and prosecution panels in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, as only the first witness has been presented so far, one of her counsels said as Tuesday’s trial concluded. “Pagdating sa defense, we don't really kasi count wins or losses per day, lalong lalo na we're only on our first witness and on the second day,” Atty. Michael Poa, one of Duterte's lawyers, said in a press briefing. (From the defense, we don't really count wins or losses each day, particularly since we're only on our first witness and it's just the second day of the trial.) Poa made the statement after House impeachment trial spokesperson Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the prosecution is claiming victory following the presentation of evidence before the impeachment court. However, Poa clarified that he is not contradicting Adiong, saying that “For the defense, hindi namin yan binibilang na win or loss kasi masyado pang maaga para magbilang ng ganyan para sa amin.” (For the defense, we don't consider those wins or losses because it's still too early for us to be counting them.) Tuesday’s impeachment trial discussed Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which tackles the “Assassination Plot, Grave Threats and Inciting to Sedition Against the President.” The House of Representatives impeached Duterte in May over allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes. On May 18, the Senate convened as an impeachment court. On June 1, Duterte's camp filed their answer to the Articles of Impeachment, asking the court to junk the impeachment case against her. Orderly impeachment Asked whether they were satisfied with Senate President Chiz Escudero’s authority to preside over Duterte’s impeachment trial, Poa said he is not in a position to comment on the matter. However, he pointed out that the past two days of Duterte’s impeachment trial have been orderly. “I think in the past two days, there has been an orderly conduct of the (impeachment) proceedings. So we submit ourselves to the court,” Poa said. In a very urgent manifestation with a motion filed on Monday, several lawyers questioned Escudero’s authority as presiding officer of Duterte’s impeachment trial. The group led by lawyer Israelito Torreon asked the Supreme Court (SC) to issue a status quo ante order barring the impeachment court and its officers from proceeding with the trial until the question over Escudero's authority to preside has been resolved. The petitioners also asked the SC to issue orders ensuring that the trial proceeds only under Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials that were validly adopted and under a presiding officer whose authority is free from any unresolved constitutional challenge. Not to intimidate Duterte’s counsel also clarified that the Vice President’s visit to the Senate earlier today was not to intimidate anyone but to meet with her lawyers. “It was a meeting. I don’t think the Vice President coming here would intimidate anyone,” Poa said. Duterte said she will be "bloodied but unbowed" before her impeachment trial. In her brief appearance to the media inside the Senate building, the Vice President said, "in this bloodbath and bludgeoning, I will be bloodied but unbowed." Duterte did not give a further statement or answered any queries from the media.—LDF, GMA News