Zarate stressed that the ultimate stakeholder in this accountability mechanism is the Filipino people, as they did not elect public officials to have unexplained wealth, questionable expenditure of funds, or to issue threats.

It has been more than 35 days since the commencement of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, and the prosecution panel continues to present evidence on the allegations faced by the second-highest official of the land.

For human rights lawyer and former Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, however, the trial is no longer about confirming if there is clear evidence to convict Sara. The real fight, he stressed, is how the evidence could survive reconciliation, cross-examination, and constitutional scrutiny.

“That is where accountability can still disappear into the maze of all of this evidence,” he said during a roundtable discussion on Sara’s impeachment on Thursday, October 8. “There are now so many that either side can select the pieces most convenient to each narrative and story.”

Read:Filipinos urged to focus on morality of VP Sara’s threats

The trial is currently focused on Article II of the articles of impeachment. The said article accuses the Vice President of having unexplained wealth and false statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).

A witness from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) was supposed to be scheduled to testify on Thursday morning, but the prosecution proposed to present another witness instead, saying that counsel Erwin Matib was unable to attend due to health reasons. The defense panel expressed opposition, which was granted by the impeachment court.

The prosecution had already presented evidence on Article IV (alleged assassination threats) and Article I (misuse of confidential funds), while the panel decided not to pursue Article III (alleged bribery) because it said the evidence of alleged wrongdoing had already been presented.

Zarate stressed that the ultimate stakeholder in this accountability mechanism is the Filipino people, as they did not elect public officials to have unexplained wealth, questionable expenditure of funds, or to issue threats.

“Has she [Vice President Sara] lived up to her oath of office?” lawyer Christian Monsod, one of the framers of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, asked during the same discussion, saying that Sara’s threats “violated her oath to do justice to every man.”

Read:VP Sara’s assassination threats notable, difficult to refute

Renato Reyes Jr., president of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said the Senate that serves as the impeachment court is not insulated from the Marcos-Duterte conflict, as well as to the widespread allegation of corruption, citing people’s sentiment that corruption cases may become a factor in how senator-judges rendered their votes in the impeachment trial.

He said this reflects the situation of a broken system. “Why corruption scandals needed to be exposed for the impeachment to move forward.”

Reyes urged Filipinos to witness the impeachment proceeding and call out those senator-judges who tend to become legally strict when it comes to the Rules of Court. The people, he said, should push accountability as the objective in the trial.

“Our voices would be the most important decisive factor in securing a Duterte conviction,” Reyes stressed. (RVO)

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