Pimentel: Prosecution has edge in VP impeachment trial
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Former Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said Wednesday the House prosecution panel has gained an early advantage in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte as it continues to present evidence supporting the articles of impeachment.
Pimentel said the decline in objections during witness testimony compared with the trial's opening days could help speed up the proceedings.
He noted that while objections are part of courtroom practice, they rarely prevent senator-judges from considering relevant testimony.
Commenting on the testimony of an NBI witness, Pimentel said the videos presented in court showed Duterte was "furious and fuming mad" when she allegedly threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
He said the key issue is not whether the statements were conditional but that the vice president publicly claimed someone had already been contracted to kill the three officials.
Pimentel rejected the defense's argument that Duterte's remarks were merely conditional statements or figures of speech, saying such arguments may carry more weight in a criminal case than in an impeachment trial.
"Impeachment is not about determining criminal guilt beyond reasonable doubt. It is about deciding whether a public official remains fit to continue in office," he said.
He added that criminal complaints may still be pursued separately regardless of the outcome of the impeachment proceedings.
Pimentel also urged prosecutors to exercise caution in presenting Duterte's chief of staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez, as a hostile witness, noting that prosecutors cannot fully anticipate her testimony and that she may invoke her constitutional right against self-incrimination on specific questions.
While acknowledging discrepancies and clerical errors cited by the defense in government documents, Pimentel said the Senate should focus on the substance of the evidence rather than minor technical mistakes.
He added that executive sessions are theoretically possible during impeachment trials but are unlikely in this case because allegations involving corruption should generally remain open to public scrutiny.
"The prosecution is on the offense right now," Pimentel said. "The defense will have its opportunity later to present its own case, and that is when we can better assess both sides."
