VP to House prosecutors: Where’s the evidence?

MANILA, Philippines —  Vice President Sara Duterte believes that the House prosecutors had to withdraw three of the four cases in the ongoing Senate impeachment trial against her after failing to present strong evidence.

“After all that, where is the evidence?” Duterte asked in her statement.

Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero said the impeachment court has accepted the prosecution’s move to pursue only Article II on Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth and drop Article I on the unaccounted P612.5 million in confidential funds, Article III on bribery and Article IV on her grave threats against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and former House speaker Martin Romualdez.

“You threatened, intimidated and hauled OVP (Office of the Vice President) personnel to detention. You started impeachment with allegations but failed to establish them with compelling evidence,” said Duterte.

“You wielded the subpoena powers of the House of Representatives, yet failed to produce what was needed to substantiate your accusations. You then brought the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, seemingly hoping that the impeachment trial would somehow make up for what was missing from the beginning,” she added.

Duterte said allegations of cash distribution and political maneuvering surrounding the 2027 national budget raise troubling questions.

“Is the budget being used to serve the Filipino people or has it become a bargaining chip to pressure senators who will sit as judges and reward those who vote ‘yes’ in the House of Representatives?” Duterte noted.

“The public deserves better than political theater disguised as accountability,” Duterte added.

Duterte said accountability should also be applied to President Marcos.
“And if accountability is truly your battle cry, apply it consistently – even to the President, who is firm that a drug habit is not about accountability. Evidence, not arrogance. Genuine accountability, not political persecution,” Duterte added.

Prosecutors dropping three of the four cases against the Vice President is an admission that the allegations lacked basis from the start, according to Duterte’s spokesman Paolo Panelo.

Prosecutors defended the move, saying it aims to expedite the proceedings.

Conflict of interest

A counsel for Duterte said National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag looking into the allegations made by dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso against Duterte is “heavily burdened with conflict of interest.”

Counsel Paul Lawrence Lim made the reaction after Matibag said the NBI is zeroing in on several properties linked to the Dutertes after finding major discrepancies in declared values in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth and the agency’s initial estimates.