Lawyers with 'impeachment experience' part of prosecution panel vs. VP Sara

The House prosecution panel for the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will include lawyers with experience in previous impeachment cases in the country, according to Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor.

Defensor, a House prosecutor for the impeachment, said that “they are litigators, practicing lawyers who have had experience in previous impeachments."

Defensor, however, did not mention any names.

“That is as far as I could go,” Defensor added.

The Philippines has had several impeachment cases in the past, but only a few have proceeded to trial, such as those against former President Joseph Estrada in 2001 and former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2011.

READ: PH gov't officials who faced impeachment raps

“May mga bumalik para tumulong at mag-volunteer,” Defensor said.

(There are those who came back and volunteered to help.)

The House of Representatives impeached the Vice President last February 5, accusing her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, graft and corruption and other high crimes based on the following seven Articles of Impeachment:

• Conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez;
• Malversation of P612.5 Million in confidential funds with questionable liquidation documents;
• Bribery and corruption in the DepEd during Duterte’s tenure by handing out cash to former DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil-Mercado (Procurement Head), Bids and Awards Committee Member Resty Osias, DepEd Chief Accountant Rhunna Catalan and Special Disbursing Officer Edward Fajarda;
• Unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets in the Vice President’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth where her wealth increased by four times from 2007 from 2017;
• Involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao City;
• Destabilization, insurrection, and public disorder efforts, which include: boycotting the State of the Nation Address (SONA) while declaring herself "designated survivor," leading rallies calling for Marcos' resignation, obstructing congressional investigations by ordering subordinates not to comply with subpoenas, threatening bodily harm against the First Couple and Romualdez, among others;
• The totality of the Vice President’s conduct as the second highest official of the land.

Defensor is the prosecutor for Article 1.

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan of the 4Ps party-list is the lead prosecutor.

Since she was impeached, the Vice President has filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition with urgent application of temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction before the Supreme Court, saying her impeachment was a mere whim on the part of the House rather than following due process and as such, is illegal. —VAL, GMA Integrated News