Dropping VP bribery charges may be shortchanging Filipinos – Palace

MANILA, Philippines —  Malacañang yesterday questioned whether the House prosecution panel would be shortchanging the Filipino public if it decides to drop the bribery charges against Vice President Sara Duterte in her ongoing impeachment trial.

While acknowledging that trial strategy rests entirely with the House prosecutors, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro pointed out that the inclusion of the bribery allegation in the Articles of Impeachment meant the panel had sufficient evidence to back it up before the Senate impeachment court.

“If they back out of the bribery charges against the Vice President, wouldn’t the Filipino people who want to know the whole truth be shortchanged or put at a disadvantage? Again, the decision is theirs,” Castro told reporters.

Meanwhile, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian defended impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero over the non-issuance of a subpoena to former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Speaking to radio dzBB, Gatchalian said senator-judges were consulted on the matter while noting that Trillanes’ recent financial allegations could still serve as “leads” when government regulators take the stand this week in the impeachment trial.

He also pushed back against Trillanes’ claim that Escudero single-handedly blocked him from testifying in the impeachment trial of the Vice President.

“It wasn’t just the decision of the presiding officer. In fact, a lot of the presiding officer’s decisions were consulted with senator-judges,” Gatchalian said, adding that House prosecutors were free to present Trillanes voluntarily even without a subpoena.

Asked about Trillanes’ press conference last week alleging that Chinese funds flowed into a foundation and a company linked to the Vice President and her husband Manases Carpio, Gatchalian said the disclosures could guide senator-judges when the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Bureau of Internal Revenue, banks and insurance firms testify this week on the unexplained wealth charge.

“What is important now is to validate whether the documents he has are the actual ones or not, whether they really came from the authorized government agencies,” Gatchalian said.

While noting that senator-judges have the leeway to ask the AMLC about Trillanes’ claims, Gatchalian said direct handlers of the financial records in question must be presented first to avoid hearsay.

He clarified that prosecutors can still call Trillanes to the witness stand afterwards.

House prosecutors confirmed anew that they would drop the bribery charges against Duterte during the resumption of trial this week.

“From our end and as we see it, we have been able to prove three articles already and we think that is enough, so at least trial will not continue into next year,” House prosecutor and Manila Rep. Joel Chua disclosed in a radio interview over the weekend.

“We are confident the three articles are enough to render justice to the Filipino people,” fellow prosecutor and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong noted. – Delon Porcalla

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