“Even if that chair remains empty, this room is full of the people’s questions.”

This was what House Committee on Justice Chairperson Gerville Luistro said in her opening statement as the panel resumed its hearing on the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Luistro asserted that the Justice panel was merely trying to get answers for the allegations raised by the petitioners of the two complaints pertaining to her alleged ill-gotten wealth, malversation of public funds, and verbal threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The Batangas 2nd District Rep. urged the Vice President to deliver statements and defend herself under oath instead of utilizing different means such as social media platforms to send a message.

She further expressed that the continued absence of Duterte would not bar the House members from accomplishing their responsibility, noting that they will simply rely on the evidence to speak for itself.

“Kung ayaw magsalita ng tao, kung ayaw humarap ng bise presidente, hayaan natin na ang mga numero ang mag-kwento. Sa hearing na ito, we shall therefore enter the territory of forensic truth,” she explained.

(If she does not want to speak, if the Vice President does not want to face us, let us let the numbers tell the story. In this hearing, we shall therefore enter the territory of forensic truth)

In its hearing this Wednesday, the committee was set to discuss issues pertaining to the combined Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of Vice President Sara Duterte and husband Mans Carpio which it obtained from the Office of the Ombudsman.

Former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes is also set to testify in the hearing as he was mentioned as a figure in one of the complaints presented before the committee for his knowledge regarding the numerous bank accounts where Duterte held millions of pesos.