MANILA, Philippines – Tumutol ang kampo ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa planong ipatawag siya bilang testigo sa impeachment trial, lalo na sa alegasyon ng maling paggamit ng confidential funds.
Ayon kay lead defense counsel Atty. Sheila Sison, may “innate problem” sa naturang kahilingan at maaari silang magsumite ng pormal na komento kung hihilingin ang subpoena kay Duterte.
“I think this matter and issue has been settled on day one and until now, it is clear that the respondent is here through her counsel,” ani Sison. “If [the] respondent is not interested in this trial, she would not have even sent her lawyers to defend her in this case,” dagdag niya.
Iginiit din ni Sison na labag sa Konstitusyon ang sapilitang pagpapatotoo ni Duterte laban sa sarili.
“The Constitution prohibits this kind of testimonial compulsion from the accused herself,” aniya.
“But nonetheless, when Section 17, Article III of our 1987 Constitution put in that guarantee that no person shall be compelled to testify against himself or to be a witness or that there should not be a testimonial compulsion from the accused herself, it did not qualify that provision,” saad ni Sison.
“The preservation of liberties does not depend on motives… a suppression of liberty has the same effect whether the suppressor is a reformer or an outlaw,” dagdag niya.
Samantala, sinabi ni lead House prosecutor Lorna Kapunan na hindi na nila ihaharap ang natitirang mga testigo para sa Article 1, ngunit nakalaan pa rin ang karapatang ipatawag si Duterte matapos ang apat na artikulo.
“At the end of all of these Articles, we reserve the right to present the Vice President herself,” ayon kay Kapunan.
Ayon sa prosecution, malinaw na ang kaso batay sa 4,750 dokumentong iniharap ng 12 testigo.
“It is the prosecution’s contention that the case has become very clear, not a conclusion of fact and law, but a conclusion based on 4,750 documents presented and identified by the 12 witnesses, 10 of whom were present in court,” dagdag niya.
Sinabi naman ni Senate impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero na hihintayin muna ang pormal na mosyon bago pagpasiyahan kung maaaring subpoena-han si Duterte. Maaari ring magkaroon ng oral arguments. RNT/MDS
