Vice President Sara Duterte’s public criticism of the Senate impeachment proceedings could lead people to prejudge her case and question the institution’s impartiality depending on its eventual ruling, a member of the House prosecution panel said.

Private prosecutor Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa said Duterte should ensure that her comments do not attack the integrity of the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, warning that such remarks could potentially violate court rules.

Tolosa cited Duterte’s statement that “bending the law is very clear in the impeachment proceedings,” saying it could fall within the sub judice rule and may be considered contemptuous.

“It was made clear under jurisprudence that, yes, litigants can criticize the courts but they can never attack its integrity…if a litigant attacks the integrity of the court that actually constitutes not just a violation of the sub judice rule but an act that can also be considered as contemptuous,” Tolosa said.

He warned that such statements could influence how the public views the eventual decision of the senator-judges, particularly if Duterte is convicted and removed from office.

Tolosa said the public could be led to believe that the Vice President was not judged solely on the evidence but was instead subjected to alleged irregularities during the proceedings.

House Deputy Speaker Janette Garin, meanwhile, said Duterte still has questions to answer regarding the use of confidential funds allocated to her offices.

Garin stressed that the public has the right to know how government funds were spent because they came from taxpayers.

“When public officials refuse to give answers, and we attempt to divert the issue, or we don’t want to answer and we try to find technicalities, it seems that there is an attempt to conceal information,” Garin said.

Proceedings in Duterte’s impeachment trial have shifted to her alleged misuse of confidential funds from 2022 to 2023 under the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which she previously headed.

State auditor Roderick Wamil testified on alleged irregularities in the liquidation of millions of pesos in confidential funds, including the lack of supporting documents and indicated uses.

The prosecution’s next witness is Commission on Audit auditor Xylene Mae del Campo of the Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office.

Del Campo is expected to testify on acknowledgment receipts submitted by the OVP and DepEd and notices of disallowance issued following the audit.