MANILA, Philippines – Wala pang natatanggap na pormal na dokumento si Vice President Sara Duterte para humarap bilang witness sa impeachment trial
Sa panayam, sinabi ni Duterte na hindi pa siya makakapagkomento sa usapin ng posibleng pagharap dahil wala pa siyang natatanggap na opisyal na dokumento.
“Hindi ko muna masagot iyan dahil wala pa namang papel o dokumento na nagsasabi na kailangan kong mag-appear as witness for the prosecution,” ani Duterte.
Kamakailan ay sinabi ng House prosecution panel na layon nilang ipresenta si Duterte sa sariling impeachment trial.
“All of these pawns and castles and horses and bishops point to only one person and that accountable person is the Vice President,” sinabi ni Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan earlier.
“In lieu of presenting 15 other witnesses, we will be presenting the Vice President herself for Article 1 of the Articles of Impeachment [on confidential funds],” dagdag pa.
“Unless the Vice President herself appears and respects the process of this impeachment court and affirms, confirms her allegation of innocence, Your Honor…the people will never know if the prosecution’s case based on witnesses and evidence will point to the Senator judges, Your Honor, exercising the lens of political neutrality, and towards the end, [if] justice will be served,” ipinunto ni Kapunan.
Bilang tugon, sinabi ni lead defense counsel Sheila Sison na ang pag-iisyu ng subpoena o “testimonial compulsion” sa Bise Presidente sa impeachment trial ay lumalabag sa kanyang Constitutional rights na nakasaad sa Article 3, Section 17 na nagsasabing “No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.”
“This right is absolute and this is not only a simple right or a statutory right. This is a fundamental right. This is a right emanating from the Constitution itself and one that emanates from the guarantees under Article 3 of our 1987 Constitution,” dagdag pa.
Ani Sison, si Duterte ay dumadalo sa paglilitis sa pamamagitan ng kanyang counsel.
“If respondent is not interested in this trial, she would not have even sent her lawyers to defend her in this case,” aniya. RNT/JGC
