Amid threats of disinformation that may maliciously sway public opinion during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, a member of the House Prosecution Panel expressed confidence that the evidence they have will overcome misleading information.

Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua acknowledged that many facts and details may be misconstrued during the trial, believing that such attempts are meant to distract the public from the constitutional proceedings.

“We can not prevent the spread of plenty of fake news. And we believe that when the impeachment starts and the trial proceeds, the attempts at defamation, fake news, to divert the attention of the public would only get stronger,” Chua said during a forum in Quezon City.

Asked what the prosecution was planning to do to combat such developments, the lawmaker stressed that the best response would be their prepared presentation of evidence.

“You know, there is no better counter to fake news than the evidence that we will be presenting,” he said.

Chua maintained that, as far as the prosecutors are concerned, their priority remains focused solely on their role in the trial—to provide a concrete explanation as to why Duterte should be convicted and removed from office.

He said it is their responsibility to fully present all the evidence they have prepared for the trial, noting that the judgment would ultimately be left to both the senator-judges and the public.

“We at the prosecution remain focused on our tasks at hand, our job. And our only focus here is to properly present the evidence to the public for them to see if the allegations against the Vice President are real or not,” the solon said.

Defer judgment on the case

The House prosecutor's sentiments were echoed by House Private Prosecutor and Trial Legal Spokesperson Atty. Jay Tolosa, who was also present at the same forum.

For Tolosa, it is equally important for the public to avoid jumping to conclusions about the case against the Vice President, particularly since the evidence has yet to be presented.

“We are calling on the public to carefully follow the proceedings and we are asking for them to withhold their opinions or judgments regarding this matter,” he said.

Aside from paying attention to what the prosecution has prepared, the legal luminary noted that it is equally important for the public to carefully follow the presentation of Duterte's camp.

Tolosa said any conclusion, decision, or opinion the public forms about the trial should be based on a consideration of all the arguments, manifestations, and, most importantly, the evidence that will be presented.

The first day of the impeachment trial against the Vice President is set to begin on 6 July, with members of both the prosecution and the defense ordered to be physically present during the proceedings.

Based on the pre-trial order issued by the Senate Impeachment Court Clerk, the proceedings may span as many as 92 trial dates.