Vice President Sara Duterte impeachment composite image from Inquirer files
MANILA, Philippines — House prosecution spokesperson Antonio Bucoy could not help but criticize Vice President Duterte for seemingly “evading the substance” of the impeachment case against her.
In a press conference on Friday, Bucoy pointed out how Duterte previously claimed that she wants her impeachment trial against her to be a “blood bath.” According to him, the trial might as well be a “bubble bath.”
This, however, appeared not to be the case as the prosecutors noticed how Duterte “dodged” to answer the allegations made in the case filed against her.
READ: House-prosecutors-see-false-claims-in-sara-dutertes-answer-ad-cautelam
“You should answer the complaint. If you remember, from the hearing of the committee on good government, it was like that. Until now, there is no explanation, we are in the impeachment process [and] filed an answer, still no explanation,” said Bucoy in Filipino.
“We’re all still guessing. Didn’t she say she wanted a trial — she wants a blood bath. Well this is a bubble bath, not a blood bath,” he added.
The country’s second top leader earlier sought the dismissal of the impeachment complaint against her, calling it “void ab initio” or invalid from the outset.
Ad cautelam
This plea was made in the answer ad cautelam that Duterte filed before the impeachment court on June 23.
But the reply from the prosecution team directly confronted each of Duterte’s arguments, describing her legal tactics as a transparent attempt to delay or dismiss the proceedings rather than answer the charges.
In the same press conference on Friday, Bucoy said Duterte’s answer ad cautelam was not only full of falsehoods but also “misconceptions” and ”general denial” — which, according to him, equates to admission.
“What’s a general denial? She did not answer the factual allegations. She just said that they’re not true, but the problem with general denial is you did not answer in particular. Because if you deny it, you should explain why,” said Bucoy in Filipino.
He then explained that under existing laws, a general denial equates to an admission of mistakes.
“She did not deny that there was an attempt to suppress documents from COA… She did not deny that the confidential funds were used in a short period of time. She did not deny the liquidation documents. Quietly, she just said that these are not true,” he later added.
With these, the prosecution particularly sought the denial of Duterte’s dismissal plea.
The panel also urged the impeachment court to render a judgment of conviction, remove Duterte from office, and impose a penalty of perpetual disqualification against her. /mr