Who will be the prosecutors in VP Sara Duterte's impeachment trial?

Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon on Saturday named the possible members of the House prosecution team for the anticipated Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

This, after the House Committee on Justice found probable cause to impeach the Vice President. 

At a news forum in Quezon City, Ridon expressed confidence that the House has sufficient numbers to impeach Duterte and it can transmit to the Senate the articles of impeachment against the second highest official in the government.

READ: 106 votes to impeach Sara 'not difficult to surmount' — Ridon

Asked who will compose the House’s prosecution team once the Senate impeachment court is convened, Ridon said there is no formal discussion yet but justice panel chair Batangas Second District Representative Gerville Luistro already named some of those eyed to be on the team.

“Nagbanggit siya ng mga dating prosecutors na. Malamang magkakaroon ng bagong prosecutors dahil may mga bagong kinatawan na mga abogado,” the lawmaker said.

(She mentioned some who were prosecutors before. Most likely there will be new prosecutors too because there are new representatives who are also lawyers.)

Among those named by Luistro, according to Ridon, are as follows:

• San Juan Representative Ysabel Zamora;
• Bukidnon Representative Keith Flores;
• Manila Representative Jose Chua;
• Bicol Saro Representative Terry Ridon;
• Akbayan Representative Chel Diokno;
• Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima; and
• Cagayan do Oro Representative Lordan Suan.

“Binanggit rin niya [Luistro] na may private prosecutors na tutulong sa public prosecutors,” Ridon said.

However, the lawmaker said that the panel has “to finalize the public prosecutors first.”

“As soon as we get to the impeachment I think we will have prepared already,” Ridon said.

The committee report of the House Committee on Justice that will contain the resolution and articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte is now being drafted, Luistro and committee member Representative Joel Chua said Friday.

The committee report is scheduled to be approved on Monday, May 4, on the same day that the House of Representatives resumes its session.

Once the committee report is approved, Luistro said that they will transmit it immediately to the plenary.

The Rules on Impeachment provide that "the Committee on Rules shall calendar the report and the accompanying resolution of the Justice committee regarding the disposition of the complaint in accordance with the Rules of the House of Representatives.

The House shall dispose of the report within sixty (60) session days from its submission by the Committee on Justice."

At least one-third of the members of the House, or 106 are needed to approve the resolution setting forth the Articles of Impeachment.

If approved, it will be endorsed to the Senate.

The camp of Duterte however on Wednesday said the impeachment proceedings conducted by the House Committee on Justice were not in accordance with the Constitution.

The two impeachment complaints filed against the Vice President accuse her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, among others, mainly over the following acts: 

•     alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential fund and using them as bribes 
•     threatening to kill President Marcos, Jr. and his family, including her desire to remove the head of the Chief Executive, and 
•     alleged accumulation of unexplained wealth. 

—KG, GMA News