MANILA — House prosecutors appealed to the Senate to allow them to fully present evidence and witnesses in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying a complete airing of the case is essential for both senator-judges and the public to understand the allegations against the country’s second-highest official.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson for the prosecution panel, said the team is prepared to present all available evidence tied to the articles of impeachment and hopes the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, would provide ample opportunity for the case to be heard in full.
“What the House prosecution panel desires is to present all the evidence and the possible witnesses that correspond to the articles of impeachment laid out in that complaint,” Adiong said in Filipino in an interview on dzBB radio.
The Senate formally convened as an impeachment court on May 18. Trial proceedings are expected to begin on July 6, from Monday to Wednesday, starting at 2 p.m.
The proceedings are expected to follow a strict schedule as the upper chamber prepares for what could become one of the most politically significant trials in recent history.
Adiong stressed that the prosecution’s objective is not merely to secure a conviction but to ensure that evidence is presented transparently before the senator-judges and the public.
He said a full presentation of evidence would allow Filipinos to better appreciate the gravity of the accusations and the basis for the impeachment complaint approved by the House on May 11 by a vote of 257 in favor, 25 against, and nine abstentions.
The prosecution panel is expected to present documentary evidence and witnesses supporting the allegations in the impeachment articles.
Among the evidence are Duterte’s bank transactions and tax records; statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth; audit reports; and witness testimonies initially disclosed during House justice committee hearings in April that found probable cause to impeach the Vice President on allegations of corruption and other culpable violations of the Constitution.
While details of the prosecution strategy have yet to be fully disclosed, Adiong said the panel intends to maximize the trial proceedings to establish the factual basis of the complaint.
Accountability mechanism
“For us, the only concern is for the senator-judges to be given the chance to physically appreciate and evaluate the evidence, and to hear the testimonies of the witnesses,” Adiong said.
“At the same time, it should be clear to our people that this impeachment is how we give life to our Constitution, especially its accountability mechanism,” he added.
Political analyst Ederson Tapia, a political science professor at the University of Makati, said allowing the prosecution to fully present its evidence could shift public discourse away from partisan politics toward accountability.
“A full public presentation of the evidence could significantly increase the visibility and political weight of the impeachment proceedings because it shifts the discussion from rhetoric and partisan messaging to documented claims, testimonies, and institutional processes,” Tapia said.
“The more detailed and methodical the presentation becomes, the harder it is for the case to remain purely abstract or personality-driven,” he added.
House committee changes
Adiong’s remarks also came amid speculation that recent committee leadership changes in the House were linked to lawmakers’ positions on Duterte’s impeachment.
The House leadership has denied any connection, insisting that changes in committee chairmanships are routine.
“The changes happen regularly,” he said during the Saturday News Forum, according to a Sunday statement.
“It only became an issue because of the impeachment, that’s why many are trying to associate the changes in committee chairmanships with the result that came out during the voting,” he added.
The House plenary recently adopted a motion removing Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado and Agusan del Norte Rep. Dale Corvera as vice chairs of the appropriations committee. Mercado was also replaced as chair of the population and family relations committee by Northern Samar Rep. Edwin Ongchuan.
Laguna Rep. Ramil Hernandez was likewise replaced as chair of the House special committee on Southern Tagalog Development by Laguna Rep. Loreto Amante.
“It’s more of a party decision because they choose among their members who will be assigned in each committee,” Adiong said.
But a source, speaking on anonymity for lack of authority to speak on the matter, claimed that Mercado and Hernandez have joined the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), President Marcos’ party. Deputy Speaker Albee Benitez, himself a PFP member, confirmed their membership.
Hernandez and Corvera ran under Lakas-CMD, and Mercado under the Nationalist People’s Coalition in the 2025 elections. (Kenneth Christiane Basilio, Tina G. Santos © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
