Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team has accused impeachment prosecutors of relying on speculation and misleading statements as the Senate prepares to resume her impeachment trial on November 9, with the defense set to challenge allegations of unexplained wealth and discrepancies in her financial disclosures.
Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team has strongly criticized the House prosecution panel, accusing its members of attempting to influence public opinion through speculation and statements that allegedly disregard the principles of due process and fairness.
The dispute comes ahead of the resumption of Duterte’s impeachment trial before the Senate on Monday, November 9, when her legal team is expected to begin presenting evidence against the remaining impeachment allegation involving her alleged unexplained wealth and failure to properly declare it in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
In a statement, lawyer Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., spokesperson and counsel for the vice president, maintained that the prosecution had failed to establish its case and insisted that Duterte should now be given the opportunity to defend herself before the Senate impeachment court.
“The prosecution had its chance. It failed. On Monday, the vice president begins her defense,” Panelo said.
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His remarks came after private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan questioned the possibility of Duterte taking the witness stand, suggesting that the vice president could become the strongest evidence against her own defense.
Kapunan argued that Duterte could have difficulty addressing the official documents and records that prosecutors consider central to their allegations. She also suggested that appearing as a witness could be detrimental to the vice president’s case.
Panelo rejected the prosecution’s criticism, arguing that the statements reflected a premature judgment against Duterte before her defense had been given the opportunity to present its evidence.
“We apparently live in two worlds,” Panelo said, emphasizing that due process requires an accused person to be heard and that allegations must be established through clear and convincing evidence presented before the court.
He further accused the prosecution of attempting to persuade the public through what he described as half-truths, malicious speculation, and repeated media statements rather than allowing the impeachment proceedings to determine the truth.
“One world seeks the truth. The other desperately tries to persuade an increasingly skeptical public with asinine sound bites built on half-truths and malicious speculation, spewed out in daily, obtrusive and nauseating press briefings and interviews,” Panelo said.
The vice president’s defense is expected to focus on Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which concerns allegations of unexplained wealth and questions surrounding the declaration of her assets, liabilities, and net worth.
The impeachment proceedings underwent a significant development on October 13, when the House prosecution panel withdrew three of the four impeachment articles concerning alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats, leaving the remaining allegation involving unexplained wealth for the defense to address.
With the prosecution having rested its case following the withdrawal of the other articles, Duterte’s legal team is now preparing to present its evidence before the Senate impeachment tribunal.
The outcome of the proceedings could have major political and legal consequences for the vice president. If convicted by the Senate impeachment court, Duterte could be removed from office and permanently disqualified from holding any future public office under the constitutional consequences of impeachment conviction.
As the trial resumes, the confrontation between the prosecution and defense is expected to intensify, with both sides seeking to establish their respective positions before senators tasked with deciding the case.
For Duterte, the upcoming defense presentation will be a critical opportunity to challenge the remaining allegations and convince the Senate that the evidence presented by the prosecution is insufficient to justify her removal from office.
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