Prosecutor: Details of evidence vs VP Sara to come out in impeachment trial

The evidence against Vice President Sara Duterte, revealed during the House impeachment hearings, were just an "appetizer," House prosecutor and San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Zamora of San Juan said.

“What happened in the House committee on justice ay parang patikim pa lang po iyon based on the [impeachment] complaints [filed against the Vice President. The evidence unearthed were based on what was alleged in the complaint,” Zamora said in a Super Radyo DZBB interview.

“All the relevant and related evidence was presented during the House committee on justice hearing, but for the trial, it will be more detailed. We will have testimonial evidence from witnesses, and they can bring other documents, which are all related and relevant to our case. We are beefing up the evidence, documents we have, and we will prepare as much as we can,” Zamora added.

Zamora made the statement after she was asked if the revelations during the House impeachment hearings had already reached their "peak," given that the Anti Money Laundering Council (AMLC) already disclosed before the House justice committee that P6.7 billion worth of bank transactions flowed under the names of the Vice President and her husband, Manases Carpio, from 2006 to 2025.

The same House impeachment hearing also revealed that the Vice President did not declare any cash on hand or in the bank from 2019 to 2024 in her joint filing of Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth with her husband.

'No feelings'

Earlier, Duterte said she is letting her lawyers handle the House of Representatives’ move to impeach her, adding that she has no personal feelings about the development.

“Sa impeachment, mayroon kaming spokesperson at defense team para sa impeachment. ‘Yan ay isang legal na proseso at iwan na lang natin sa spokesperson at sa abogado ang pag-komento,” Duterte said in an interview at The Hague.

We already have a spokesperson and a defense team for the impeachment. This is a legal process, and we should leave the comments to the spokesperson and the lawyers.)

Asked how she felt about the House’s vote to impeach her, the Vice President said: “Wala akong feelings about the impeachment (I have no feelings about the impeachment).”

Duterte's lawyers also said that they are prepared to defend her.

“While questions of constitutional significance remain pending before the Supreme Court, we are fully prepared to defend the Vice President before the Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court, where it is incumbent upon the Prosecution to discharge the burden of proof,” Duterte’s defense team said in a statement.

'Solid, forthwith'

House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio of Makabayan bloc, as well as party-list Reps. Sarah Elago of Gabriela and Renee Co of Kabataan party-list , for their part, said such airtight findings by the House justice committee ultimately swayed 257 House members to vote in favor of the Vice President's impeachment.

READ: How congressmen voted in VP Sara Duterte's impeachment

“At the end of the day, 257 House members voted in favor for the impeachment, way above the initial target and higher than the 215 who voted in favor of her impeachment last year. This happened because the grounds for her impeachment as revealed before the House justice committee are solid. There was basis shown for every allegation against her…at least probable cause and more over the wastage of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery and death threat,” Tinio said in a press conference.

Co, for her part, said the Senate leadership change that installed Senator Alan Cayetano as Senate President with Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’ showing up to vote after almost six months in hiding should not stop the Senate from convening as an impeachment court.

“The Senate’s mandate to convene as a Senate impeachment court is clear, regardless of the change in leadership. Pagulungin na ang impeachment kay Vice President Sara, pagulungin na si Bato sa ICC,” Co added.

Elago, on the other hand, said the Senate should not "cuddle" dela Rosa.

“It is very concerning that the Senate is being used as a safe house of an official who is facing serious charges of human rights violation. Convening as an impeachment court for trial of the Vice President is the Senate’s obligation, not a mere option,” Elago said.

“The House did due diligence and observed due process in accordance with its mandate. In the same vein, we call on the Senate to do its job and proceed with the impeachment trial of the Vice President, forthwith,” Elago added.

Preparations

House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Rep Lorenz Defensor, one of the eleven impeachment prosecutors, said he is already preparing for the trial with the current dynamics in the Senate and the 2028 elections in mind.

"Ayaw ko i-preempt ang desisyon ng ating mga magiging senator-judges. All I can say is that as a prosecutor, I am preparing with the dynamics in mind na nagka-kudeta sa ating Senado, may bagong liderato, at malapit na ang eleksiyon," Defensor said in an interview.

(I don't want to preempt the decision of our future senator-judges. All I can say is that as a prosecutor, I am preparing with the dynamics in mind that there was a coup in our Senate, there is new leadership, and the elections are imminent.)

"While I expect the senators to be fair and impartial during this impeachment trial, we cannot overlook the fact na malapit na ang 2028 election. We have to accept and everyone knows that there are consequences for the senators regardless of the outcome of this impeachment trial," Defensor explained.

Defensor is also optimistic that trial in the Senate Impeachment Court will immediately commence once the Senate receives the Articles of Impeachment.

"Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, our Senate President, is a lawyer. Natutuwa akong nasabi niya na forthwith ay agad-agaran. I am sure he will respect the Constitution, being a lawyer," Defensor said.

Defensor also said that the impeachment prosecution panel has not yet decided on their assignment but he said that the "easiest" to prosecute are the vice president's threats against the president, the first lady, and the former House speaker, as well as her alleged unexplained wealth. —with reports from Tina Panganiban-Perez/ VAL, GMA News