JAKARTA - Vice President of the Philippines Sara Duterte faces a tough test in the Senate. House of Representatives prosecutor Lorenz Defensor believes that a guilty verdict can still be reached if the senators-judges really hear and assess the evidence in the impeachment trial.
Reported by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Tuesday, June 2, Defensor said the evidence opened in the impeachment trial could change the direction of votes in the Senate. He cited the process in the House of Representatives, when support for impeachment strengthened after evidence and testimony were presented.
Impeachment is a political-legal process to hold high-ranking officials accountable, which can lead to removal from office. In this trial, senators act as senator-judges, that is, members of the Senate who carry out roles such as judges.
"I am optimistic that if they see the evidence before them, maybe some of them will also be convinced," Defensor said in a television interview on Tuesday.
According to Defensor, before the House of Representatives' Judicial Committee held a hearing, it was not clear how many members of parliament would support impeachment. Some are even reluctant to continue the process if there is no new evidence.
However, that attitude changed after evidence and testimony were opened in the committee hearing.
"As the Judiciary Committee begins its hearings and presents evidence based on the complaint filed, the belief of members of Congress to vote in favor of impeachment becomes stronger," Defensor said.
He said Sara Duterte's refusal to answer the allegations directly also influenced the consideration of DPR members.
Defensor emphasized that impeachment is not just a legal process. There are political elements in it. Therefore, public opinion can also influence the senator's attitude.
He quoted an OCTA Research survey which showed public support for the impeachment trial to continue rose from 69 percent in the first quarter to 74 percent in the second quarter.
"Seven out of 10 Filipinos want the impeachment to continue," he said.
Defensor said the figure was a strong signal from the public for the senators-judges to hear the evidence and follow the process.
However, the road for the prosecution is not easy. The leadership of the Senate has changed since Sara Duterte was impeached by the DPR. The new majority in the Senate is now filled with senators who are publicly seen as close to the Duterte family.
Even so, the voting map is not completely closed. The minority camp is made up of 11 senators. To convict, prosecutors must secure at least two-thirds of the vote, or 16 of 24 senators-judges.
PNA reported that Sara Duterte's impeachment trial is expected to begin in July, after the pre-trial process in the impeachment court.
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