The prosecutors of the House of Representatives in charge of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte have assured this Saturday that the grounds for her removal have been solidly reinforced after completing the first week of hearings in the Senate. In the opinion of the legislators, the procedure has progressed successfully by transforming the formal accusations into consistent evidentiary elements before the court.
The representative of the Mamamayang Party (liberals), Leila de Lima, has highlighted in Quezon City that the opening of the process has been "significant" thanks to the testimony of the first witness, agent John Mark Calilong, from the National Bureau of Investigation.
"The first week was significant because the Prosecution began to convert the accusations described in the articles of impeachment into evidence that was then analyzed and subjected to cross-examination. This involved the first witness, agent John Mark Calilong," explained the parliamentarian, emphasizing the weight of this initial testimony.
According to what was presented in the hearings, Calilong allegedly provided video recordings in which Duterte made death threats against the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Martin Romualdez, material that has been incorporated into the record.
Next, De Lima stressed that the conversion of charges into evidence "will be followed by other witnesses who will corroborate the evidence or explain the meaning of those recordings," anticipating a series of appearances to bolster the accusation.
For his part, the representative of the Akbayan Party (progressives), Chel Diokno, has equated the Prosecution's tactic with "building a house," highlighting that the foundations of the case are already laid and that from now on the different floors of the accusatory narrative will be built.
Diokno has advanced that the next sessions will serve to show the senators and public opinion "how the Vice President's actions constituted a constitutional violation and a betrayal of public trust," in anticipation of new witness testimonies that will support the allegations made.
"We want everyone, not just the senator-judges, but also the public watching us, to understand the real basis of these articles of impeachment, how they involve violations of our constitution or a betrayal of public trust. This is what we will demonstrate in the coming weeks. The prosecution will play the same role for each of the articles of accusation," the progressive leader clarified, insisting that they will follow the same pattern with each charge.
Duterte is charged with alleged embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment, and threats against the country's president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady, and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives. The vice president has rejected all accusations and maintains that it is a purely political maneuver directed against her.
If the Senate finally declares her guilty, she could be removed from office and disqualified from holding positions in the administration, which would thwart her plans to compete for the presidency in 2028 and alter the Filipino political landscape for that electoral cycle.