House leader expects senators to weigh evidence in VP Sara impeachment trial

House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability chairperson Joel Chua said that he is expecting the senators serving as judges to weigh the documentary evidence in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Yes. Merit lang tayo. Kasi kung wala naman talaga, bakit mo naman sasabihin? Ang hirap na i-justify nun,” he said in a television interview on Saturday.

(Yes. Let’s just stick to the merits. Because if there is really nothing there, why would you even say it? That would be very difficult to justify.)

“But of course kasi sa Senado, they will be given the opportunity to cross-examine ‘yung mga evidence. Pero itong documentary evidence, ewan ko kung paano nila pasisinungalingan ito,” he added.

(But of course, in the Senate, they will be given the opportunity to cross-examine the evidence. But as for this documentary evidence, I don’t know how they will be able to refute or disprove it.)

The House on Monday is expected to take up the committee report approved by the House Committee on Justice, which found probable cause to impeach Duterte over allegations related to the alleged misuse of confidential funds and other accusations.

A total of 106 votes are needed to transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.

Further, Chua noted Duterte's grave threats to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and others are enough evidence against her.

“Punta naman tayo, ‘yung threat. Di ba, isang araw nagising tayo, ‘yung pinagmumura si Presidente. Sinabi ma papatayin. Eh ‘yun lang eh. Ang tawag namin sa law diyan, res ipsa loquitur. Ibig sabihin, the thing speaks for itself,” he said.

(Let’s move on to the threat. Right? One day we just woke up to the President being cursed at. It was said he would be killed. Well, that’s it right there. What we call that in law is res ipsa loquitur. It means, the thing speaks for itself.)

The lawmaker also said that the alleged threat was directed at the head of state, which he said raises national security concerns.

“So when you say head of the state, ibig sabihin ‘yan ang nagre-represent sa buong Pilipinas… So ibig sabihin national security concern ‘yan para pagbantaan mo,” Chua said.

(So when you say head of state, it means that person represents the entire Philippines... So, it means it is a national security concern when you threaten them.)

Despite her absences in the hearings, Duterte’s defense team will monitor the House’s plenary proceedings on Monday.

The House justice panel began its impeachment hearings on March 25.

The impeachment complaints against Duterte accused her of alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds and using them as bribes; threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and his family, including her desire to remove the head of the Chief Executive; and alleged accumulation of unexplained wealth. —RF, GMA News