Impeachment Trial of VP: Prosecution Claims Evidence Sufficient for Conviction

MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution team from the House of Representatives stated that the documentary and testimonial evidence against impeached Vice President Sara Duterte are sufficient for conviction, regardless of whether the conviction threshold is maintained or not. Representative Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon), a member of the 11-strong prosecution team, declared, "As far as we are concerned, we stick to the principle that we will sink or swim with the evidence that we will be presenting before the Senate impeachment court." Flores added that the prosecutors are focused on presenting the evidence, whether the threshold is 16, 14, or 13 votes. Akbayan Representative Chel Diokno has also repeatedly emphasized that the prosecution's focus is on evidence presentation, not the voting threshold. The prosecution has not yet finalized its collective position on the threshold issue, which was discussed by a panel of retired Supreme Court justices acting as amici curiae (friends of the court). However, Flores stated, "If there's one thing that we don't disagree on, it's that the threshold is still two-thirds." Representative Joel Chua (Manila's third district) expressed hope for Duterte's conviction based on the strength of the evidence. "At the end of the day, the audience here is not just limited to senator-judges, but to the entire Filipino population as well," Chua, chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, emphasized. The Constitution requires the concurrence of two-thirds of all Senate members for conviction. With a 24-member Senate, Senate President Francis Escudero initially set the threshold at 16 votes, a decision that has sparked controversy due to the non-participation of several senator-judges in trial proceedings for various reasons. The prosecution and defense are scheduled to argue their respective positions on the threshold on September 23. Senator Rodante Marcoleta, currently detained for plunder, stated he does not intend to seek furlough to vote on the proposed change in the 16-vote threshold, asserting that the threshold is already in the Constitution and cannot be changed by anyone. Senator Jinggoy Estrada is also detained for plunder. Two other senators, Loren Legarda and Ronald dela Rosa, are absent from the proceedings. Dela Rosa has been in hiding since May following an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Meanwhile, Legarda is on an extended medical leave. Reflecting on the appearance of former Supreme Court chief justices before the impeachment court last Wednesday, Senator Panfilo Lacson said their expert testimonies left an "indelible mark" and would guide him in voting on the conviction threshold. Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III told reporters that senators would hold a caucus before putting the threshold matter to a vote. Malacañang, meanwhile, said it is keeping its hands off the issue.