Former Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III gave the prosecution the early advantage in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, with the continued presentation of evidence supporting the articles of impeachment.

The lawmaker said the reduction in objections during witness testimonies compared with the trial’s opening days was a positive development that could help speed up the proceedings.

Lawyers often use frequent objections to demonstrate familiarity with courtroom rules, but rarely prevent senator-judges from considering relevant testimony, said Pimentel.

Commenting on the testimony of a law enforcement witness who described Duterte as “furious and fuming mad” in videos where she allegedly threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez, Pimentel said the footage clearly showed the vice president was extremely angry.

Hyperbole?

Pimentel found the witness’ explanation that public officials making such statements could encourage lawlessness if left unaddressed.

He said the issue is not merely whether the statement was conditional. The concern is that the vice president publicly announced there was supposedly already a contract on the lives of three people.

He dismissed the defense’s argument that Duterte’s remarks were only conditional threats or figures of speech, saying such arguments may be relevant in a criminal case but not necessarily in an impeachment trial.

He stressed that impeachment is not intended to determine criminal guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but to decide whether a high-ranking public official remains fit to stay in office.

Pimentel said that the question is whether that official is still worthy of remaining in public office.

The lawmaker added that even if the Senate acquits an impeached official, or after impeachment proceedings conclude, criminal complaints may still be filed separately before prosecutors if warranted.

He also said the testimony presented so far showed that the House prosecution panel had established a basis for its articles of impeachment, although it remains up to senator-judges to determine whether the acts constitute impeachable offenses.

On the defense’s efforts to point out inconsistencies, erasures and date discrepancies in government documents, Pimentel said such issues should encourage greater care in preparing official records.

But Pimentel said the Senate should focus primarily on the substance and main conclusions of the evidence rather than minor clerical errors.

Likewise, Pimentel cautioned the prosecution against calling Vice President Duterte’s chief of staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez