House prosecution says impeachment court spox should not speak for VP Sara

Senate impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol should speak for the court, not for the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte, House prosecution panel spokesperson and lawyer Antonio Bucoy said Friday.

Bucoy was reacting to Tongol’s comments on Thursday when he said that there is a high chance that the Vice President will make a motion to dismiss the impeachment complaint.

Tongol said, “Ang action na ini-expect natin from the defense by filing an ad cautelam appearance—na magpa-file sila ng either answer with affirmative defense questioning the jurisdiction, or a motion to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.”

(We expect the defense to question the jurisdiction of file a motion to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.) 

“As spokesperson, he is the mouthpiece of the court. He expresses the mindset of the court. [But] he’s telegraphing the defense to file a motion to dismiss,” Bucoy told GMA News Online in a text message.

“Recall that the partiality of some members of the court had already been raised as an issue. I priorly stated that while I am prepared to give the judges the benefit of a doubt, the spokesperson’s subject statement convinces me otherwise,” Bucoy added.

House spokesperson Princess Abante agreed.

“Do not speak for the defense. Speak for the impeachment court,” Abante said of Tongol.

“That is why we are saying that what we want is a Senate impeachment court that is ready to accept the evidence, listen to the evidence and decide based on the evidence presented,” Abante added.

In a "24 Oras" report by Saleema Refran, Tongol said, "Hindi pag-aabogado sa isang panig o paglilito sa publiko ngunit pagsagot lamang sa scenario setting na tanong sa akin nang naayon sa aking karanasan sa litigation."

"Ito ay bahagi ng ating tungkulin hindi lamang bilang spokesperson ngunit bilang abogado rin upang ipaliwanang ang legal proceedings sa lahat," he also said.

"The Impeachment Court is committed to neutrality, fairness and due process.  Respect for the court is fundamental to democracy, so it is vital for the stability of this democracy for all to work together with mutual respect…and for litigants to avoid unnecessary attacks that only serve to hinder our collective efforts to proceed with the impeachment process," Tongol added.

In a separate statement, House lead prosecutor and 4Ps party-list Representative Marcelino Libanan commended the senator-judges who uphold decorum and refrain from public commentary, but he did not mention names.

“We commend our senator-judges who have chosen the high road of restraint. Silence, in the context of an ongoing trial, is not passivity—it is professionalism,” Libanan said.

“In this highly charged political moment, those who speak least may actually understand the gravity of their judicial role the most. They recognize that the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, is a constitutional tribunal—not a venue for political theater," Libanan added.

Libanan then cited the Constitution’s demand for neutrality from judges in any legal or quasi-legal proceeding. 

“Every statement a judge makes outside the courtroom is a potential challenge to fairness inside it. The discipline shown by some senators is therefore not just admirable—it’s essential,” Libanan said.

“We urge all senator-judges to uphold the same level of discretion. Let the facts and the Constitution—not noise—shape the outcome of this process,” he added.

Over 200 lawmakers endorsed the impeachment complaint against Vice President on February 5, accusing her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.—LDF, GMA Integrated News