Palace maintains it has no hand in VP Sara impeachment trial

Malacañang on Tuesday maintained that it has no hand or participation in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

During a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked for a reaction on the remark made by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri that the impeachment trial was supposedly a ''witch hunt.''

Castro said it would be better if senator-judges refrain from making these kinds of statements.

''Unang-una, wala po tayong kinalaman sa anumang mangyayari sa impeachment trial pero bilang isang senator-judge mas maganda po tama po iyong dating sinabi ni Senator Chiz Escudero na umiwas sa ganitong mga klaseng mga pananaw dahil minsan nakikita kung saan sila kumikiling,'' she said.

(First of all, we have no hand on whatever's happening in the impeachment trial but as a senator-judge, like what Senator Chiz Escudero said, it's better to refrain from these thoughts because it will show your biases.)

''Unang-una, witch hunt ang sinasabi nila tungkol sa impeachment trial, ‘ni hindi pa nga po nakapag-start ng trial. So, parang isang judge na nagsabing hindi na siya guilty habang hindi pa dinidinig ang anumang ebidensiya,'' she added.

(First of all, they're saying that this is a witch hunt? The trial has not even started yet. So it's like a judge saying that he is not guilty without hearing any evidence.)

Castro said senator-judges should instead show to the public how they will serve the nation.

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5 with more than 200 congressmen endorsing the verified complaint against her, which has been transmitted to the Senate for her impeachment trial.

The Senate sitting as an impeachment court, however, voted last June 10 to return to the House of Representatives the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte without dismissing or terminating the case.

The House already submitted the first required certification that the complaint complied with the one-year ban on subsequent impeachment complaints and that it followed the Constitution.

The House under the 20th Congress has yet to submit the second certification concerning its willingness to prosecute.

Duterte was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. She has since denied the allegations. — BAP, GMA Integrated News