THE House prosecution panel has rejected allegations that the proposed 2027 national budget would reward senators for convicting Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, warning that prolonged impeachment proceedings could cause the public to lose sight of the evidence against her.
House trial spokesperson Zia-ur Rahman Alonto Adiong, who represents Lanao del Sur, said the impeachment proceedings stemmed from allegations involving Duterte’s conduct and Congress’ constitutional duty to examine them, not from any supposed budgetary arrangement to influence senator-judges.
Adiong cited questions surrounding confidential funds, alleged threats and asset disclosures as among the issues that prompted the impeachment trial.
‘This is the constitutional duty being performed by the House and the Senate,’ Adiong said, questioning why Duterte’s camp continued to use the budget-reward allegation to challenge the proceedings.
Adiong said the withdrawal of three impeachment articles did not preclude separate legal action over the questioned confidential funds Duterte handled as Vice President and Education secretary. He said the Office of the Ombudsman could file a case but stressed that no specific action or timetable had been announced.
‘I cannot give you a specific date, but there has already been contact between the Ombudsman and the prosecution,’ he said, clarifying that he was not preempting the agency’s decision.
On the possible inclusion of additional information about properties in the prosecution’s formal offer of evidence, Adiong said fairness required that the material be discussed in open court. Information not presented during the hearings, he added, could instead be examined in separate proceedings by the appropriate investigative agencies.
Adiong also called for closer scrutiny of corporate remittances discussed during the trial, including funds originating from China, saying investigators should establish their purpose and supporting documentation. He described the matter as a national security concern.
Meanwhile, House prosecutor Joel Chua of Manila said the prosecution’s decision to withdraw three of the four impeachment articles was partly intended to prevent the trial from dragging on and diminishing public attention to the evidence presented against Duterte.
Chua said the prosecution anticipated that the defense could prolong the proceedings into next year, potentially causing Filipinos to forget the witnesses and evidence presented during the hearings.
‘By that time, our fellow Filipinos might no longer remember the witnesses and evidence we presented,’ Chua said.
The prosecution has withdrawn three impeachment articles and is proceeding solely on Article II, which concerns allegations of unexplained wealth. The strategy aims to move the trial toward a resolution while maintaining its focus on the remaining charge.