The House prosecution panel is confident of securing a conviction in the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte — unless senator-judges weigh their political alliances more heavily than the “glaring” evidence presented against her.
In an interview Thursday, prosecutor Joel Chua emphasized that if the Senate votes to acquit Duterte, it must be accompanied by a comprehensive explanation that rebuts the “overwhelming” evidence the House plans to present.
“If the evidence is very overwhelming, very blatant, and very obvious, I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t be in favor. Otherwise, they will need to explain to the public why they cast such a vote,” he said, partly in Filipino. “I believe that our esteemed senators will perform their duty based on the evidence and not because of their political party.”
Among the evidence to be presented is the alleged use of fake recipients for confidential funds from both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, as well as a controversial video clip of Duterte allegedly saying she had arranged the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and House Speaker Martin Romualdez should she be killed.
Incoming Mamamayan Liberal (ML) Partylist representative Leila de Lima, who is expected to join the prosecution panel, echoed confidence in the strength of the case, particularly regarding the confidential funds and the alleged threats to key officials.
"Particularly with the matter of her blatant threats against the life of the President, the Speaker, and the First Lady. That is totally unbecoming of a very high official like the Vice President,” De Lima said.
She and incoming Akbayan Partylist representative Chel Diokno, both seasoned legal figures, were invited to join the 11-member prosecution panel by Speaker Romualdez. They are set to replace two outgoing prosecutors who lost their re-election bids.
Akbayan led the partylist race with 2.8 million votes (6.71%), while ML ranked 14th with 541,134 votes (1.32%) based on partial unofficial results covering 97.37% of election returns. Akbayan’s performance guarantees at least one House seat, and ML is in position to receive one of the 63 partylist seats despite not reaching the 2% threshold.
Chua, along with administration lawmakers, said De Lima and Diokno’s expected inclusion would strengthen the prosecution, citing their legal expertise.
Romualdez, who was accused by Duterte of spearheading the House investigation into her confidential funds, said their goal is to uphold their constitutional duty — not to carry out a vendetta.
He added that De Lima and Diokno's participation “would be a valuable contribution to ensuring that the proceedings are fair, principled, and rooted in the public interest.”
“The House is committed to presenting a case based solely on facts, evidence, and the rule of law,” Romualdez said.
The House impeached Duterte on 5 February, charging her with graft, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution.
The articles of impeachment center on her alleged plot to assassinate the Marcoses and Romualdez, along with the supposed misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds during her concurrent term as Vice President and Education Secretary.
Duterte has denied all accusations, calling the impeachment a “well-funded” and “coordinated political attack” aimed at derailing her 2028 presidential ambitions.
The Senate is set to convene as an impeachment court after the 20th Congress opens and 12 newly elected senators are sworn in. A conviction would require a two-thirds majority or at least 16 votes out of 24 senators. If convicted, Duterte will be permanently barred from holding public office.