House prosecutors split work so Luistro can focus on leading team

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives’ prosecution team for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial assigned new small-group leaders to present evidence on each ground, allowing Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro to focus more on her role as lead prosecutor.

Luistro, in an online interview on Friday, said that Manila Rep. Joel Chua will now handle the preparations for Article I in the Articles of Impeachment, which deals with Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds lodged in her office.

Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores has been named to lead the team assigned on Article III, or Duterte’s alleged bribery of Department of Education (DepEd) officials.

“Well, we made a little adjustment regarding the assignments of team leaders, no?  We resolved that I should be focusing on being the lead prosecutor, and that is why I yielded to Cong. Keith Flores as one of the new, as one of the team leaders of these articles,” Luistro told reporters covering the House.

READ: Impeached anew: House OKs articles vs Sara Duterte again with 257 votes 

“So for the confidential fund, the team leader now is Congressman Joel Chua , and then bribery will be led by Congressman Kit Flores. That’s the update in as far as our assignment is concerned,” she added.

Luistro explained that while she is still involved in preparations regarding all four grounds in the Articles of Impeachment, she has to focus on other matters related to the impeachment as being the team leader for Article I means she has to attend and preside over every meeting.

“Because I am actually involved in four articles, as a matter of fact, I am attending in all meetings, in all workshops, and in all mocks regardless of which article is that,” Luistro said.  “So we wanted somebody to focus really, and take care of each article.”

“That is why we made it a point that apart from me overseeing what’s happening in Article (I) — which I was supposed to lead — we deemed it better to place team leaders per article who are even very, very competent on this matter. So that is why we made a few changes,” she added.

Aside from these minor changes, Luistro said the prosecution team is in the thick of preparations for Duterte’s trial, which is expected to begin by July 6.

“With respect to our preparation, we have a lot of readings to do, and we continue to do so.  We are doing workshops on the presentation of evidence, and we are doing a mock trial,” she said.

Luistro explained that a mock trial simulates what would happen in the Senate, where some play the role of senator-judges, the defense panel, the witnesses, to give them — the prosecution team — a feel of what it would like to be.

Workshops, on the other hand, are more of discussions among the prosecution members regarding the possible problems that they may encounter.

“In a mock trial, we are actually simulating the presentation of witnesses and evidence, which will happen before the impeachment court. It looks like a trial already. But for workshops, maybe try to imagine a mini mock trial, something like that,” she noted.

“That’s just us asking questions among ourselves, what will be the problem with this question in case of objection, how do you counter the objection? I call that workshops or mini mock trial.  Well, they’re almost the same, it pertains to the formulation of questions during the presentation of evidence and how you counter the possible objections,” she added.

Duterte was impeached for a second time by the House last May 11, after 257 lawmakers voted in favor of adopting House Resolution No. 989, which contains the Articles of Impeachment.

The two complaints filed before the House were consolidated into the following grounds:

• culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust through the systematic liquidation misuse, misappropriation, and irregularity of confidential funds amounting to P500 million under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million under the Department of Education (DepEd)
• culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust when Duterte amassed unexplained wealth manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income and earnings during her incumbency as a public official
• bribery, graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust when she gave monetary gifts or payments to DepEd officials to induce the violation and circumvention of procurement and other related laws
• culpable violation of the Constitution, high crimes, and betrayal of public trust by contracting for the assassination of the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House, by making grave threats, and by actively inciting sedition against the republic

However, Duterte’s trial has not started yet, as pre-trial proceedings have to be completed. Last May 18, the Senate convened itself as an impeachment court, giving Duterte 10 calendar days to respond to the Articles of Impeachment.

The deadline will be on May 31, but since it falls on a Sunday, Duterte is allowed until Monday, June 1, to file her reply.  The prosecution will be given five calendar days to counter Duterte’s reply.

Different sources, like Sen. Erwin Tulfo, have told the media that the trial proper would start on July 6, and would be held every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, from 2 p.m. onwards.

READ: Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial may start on July 6 — Erwin Tulfo 

Earlier, Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V admitted that several lawmakers from the House of Representatives have started bringing discussions on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial to their respective constituents, in what appears to be a new battleground for the prosecution side.

Ortega said in a separate statement that a team composed of different lawmakers, including himself, went back to their districts to “help people understand the impeachment” on a ground level, along with its significance to the national political landscape.

According to Ortega, there was a consensus among lawmakers that the strategy needed a change, particularly on the location of the information campaign — that instead of press briefings being held in Metro Manila, it may be better to have these engagements “closer to home.”

READ: House lawmakers take Sara Duterte impeachment case to constituents

With still over a month to go before the trial proper, several lawmakers have raised concerns about the possibility of misinformation and disinformation affecting the proceedings.

Ortega said this issue of misinformation and disinformation, coupled with the people’s yearning for a trial, is another reason why going back to the grassroots appears necessary. /das