HOUSE ELECTS PROSECUTORS FOR VP SARA IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

THE House of Representatives on Tuesday formally elected an 11-member prosecution panel that will represent the Chamber in the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.

Elected as House prosecutors were Reps. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Reyes-Luistro (Batangas 2nd District), Terry L. Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list), Ramon Rodrigo “Rodge” D. Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list), Ysabel Maria J. Zamora (San Juan City), Lorenz R. Defensor (Iloilo 3rd District), Jose Manuel “Chel” I. Diokno (Akbayan Party-list), Leila M. de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Party-list), Arlene “Kaka” J. Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands), Jonathan Keith T. Flores (Bukidnon 2nd District), Lordan G. Suan (Cagayan de Oro City 1st District), and Joel R. Chua (Manila 3rd District).

Their election was made in accordance with Section 16, Rule VI of the House Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Proceedings.

The prosecution panel is composed of senior House leaders, veteran litigators, former prosecutors, constitutional lawyers, and human rights advocates from both the majority and minority blocs who will present the Articles of Impeachment and supporting evidence before the Senate impeachment court.

The House earlier impeached Duterte by a 257-25-9 vote, far exceeding the one-third constitutional threshold required to elevate the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial.

The impeachment articles accuse Duterte of alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and making threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.

The impeachment proceedings stemmed from months of hearings conducted by the House Committee on Justice, which unanimously voted 53-0 to find probable cause and later approved, 55-0, the committee report and Articles of Impeachment for plenary action.