House prosecutors' spokesperson decries defense team 'lies' about pre-trial process

The legal spokesperson of the House Prosecution panel has decried the "fake news" being proliferated by Vice President Sara Duterte's defense team.

Lawyer Benjamin "Jay" Tolosa, Jr. addressed the defense panel's statement that it is the private prosecutors who are present for the marking of evidence as the public prosecutors only appear in the morning.

"Well, first of all, to state in the record, we don't appreciate the fact that there's a member of the defense team spreading lies about what's actually going on in this pre-trial conference, including the pre-marking of evidence," he said in an online interview.

"So, I think it's, everyone has seen this, numerous members of the public prosecutors have been attending the pre-marking conference, not just last Thursday, but even throughout this week. So ayaw na ho namin sanang patulan pa itong mga pag-spread pa po ng fake news [We'd really rather not have to address this spreading of fake news] so we could go on to discuss more substantive matters."

Tolosa also denied the defense team's claim that the House Prosecution Panel is undermanned.

"That's not correct. In fact, yung issue na yon [that issue] that they didn't have enough personnel, that came from the defense noong Monday. So, yan ho, sa kanila ho nanggaling yan [That came from them]. They admitted that they lacked necessary personnel to accommodate yung gustong [their preferred] arrangement with respect to how many marking teams there will be para simultaneously, sabay-sabay na mangyari yan [so that this will happen simultaneously]," Tolosa said.

"But patuloy naman ho [we are proceeding], even today, we have sufficient manpower and we have sufficient personnel, legal personnel there working on it para ma-maximize itong binigay sa atin na additional na mga marking teams [so that we can maximize the additional marking teams]," he added.

'VP Sara the absent one'

House Impeachment Trial spokesperson Representative Renee Co of Kabataan Party-list also denied the defense team's pronouncements that the public prosecutors only attend the marking of evidence in the morning.

"Well, that's not true. Our private and public prosecutors have been present at all dates of the pre-trial conference. Ang remarkably absent po ay si VP Sara Duterte. We mentioned this before, but she said that she is ready and willing to appear at the proper court to face these charges. Up until now, we're waiting. So, sa atin, ahead of the July 6 trial, sana po maipakita ni VP Sara Duterte yung kanyang readiness and willingness na hanapin yung mga charges na ito," Co said in an ambush interview today.

(We hope Vice President Sara Duterte can show her readiness and willingness to face these charges.)

The legislator also said having private prosecutors participate in the marking of evidence poses no problems.

"Ang mga private prosecutors can be authorized representatives. Very valid na sila nandiyan. In fact, kaya nga po marami sila para po sa nitty-gritty, lalo na of the logistics, ay nariyan sila. And ang kanilang expertise on trial ay magamit para po sa pagsisilbi nang the original complaints from citizens, they see their day in court. So, kaya ready and prepared ang public prosecutors, private prosecutors na gawin yung trabaho nila para po yung impeachment process matapos hanggang dulo with in line sa principles ng due process and accountability," Co added.

(The private prosecutors can be authorized representatives. So it is very valid for them to be there. In fact, there's a lot of them so that they can be there for the nitty-gritty, the logistics. and their trial experience can be used to serve the original complaints from citizens, so that they see their day in court. So the public prosecutors and the private prosecutors are ready and prepared to do their jobs so that the impeachment process is in line with the principles of due process and accountability.)

Co also said the insistence of the defense team to have their own markings for common exhibits is delaying the proceedings.

"Nakita na nag-i-insist yung defense na kaysa isa lang yung marking for two sets of evidence na pareho naman yung laman, nagi-insist sila na separate marking sila [The defense insists that instead of just one marking, to have two sets of evidence that contain the same thing; they insisted to have their own separate marking]. That is delaying the process, actually. And so for us, we're asking the Impeachment Court, in our prayers, if will be directed, that there is just one consolidated marking for the similar, hindi lang similar, parehong [not just similar, but the same] evidence from both parties," she explained. — BM, GMA News