VP Case Not Persecution, House Prosecution Panel Says

THE House prosecution panel for the impeachment trial of Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte said the three counts of grave threats filed by the Department of Justice (DoJ) against her are not political persecution but simply the justice system doing its work. Lanao del Sur Rep. Ziaur-Rahman A. Adiong, House prosecution panel spokesperson, refuted claims that the cases demonstrated political harassment after the issuance of an arrest warrant for the Vice-President over threats made against President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, and First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos. “This is not political harassment because that’s what they’re trying to spin. It’s not even about her. It’s about the law being implemented equally to all citizens regardless [of] who you are, regardless [of] what status you’re in,” Mr. Adiong said in a statement. He added that the law applies to everyone regardless of position and status. The DoJ on Aug. 11 filed three counts of grave threats against Ms. Duterte, followed by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court’s issuance of arrest warrant against the Vice-President on Sept. 4. Ms. Duterte on Saturday posted bail for the grave threats case, each count of the charges set at P120,000. The House of Representatives prosecution panel at Ms. Duterte’s impeachment trial also presented pieces of evidence on Article IV of impeachment alleging that the Vice-President made grave threats against Mr. Marcos and two other family members, which Mr. Adiong clarified had nothing to do with the DoJ charges. “The impeachment trial has nothing to do with the final charges filed by the DoJ against the Vice-President resulting in her arrest warrant,” he said. “The judges here are different, so is the verdict.” — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel