Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - No member of the prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will resign, according to House Impeachment Prosecutor Terry Ridon.He said the dual role of Counsel for the House Prosecution Atty. Benjamin Tolosa Jr. will also continue.But Ridon gave assurances the prosecution will comply with the Impeachment Court’s sub judice rule.On Thursday, House Prosecution spokesperson Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said “there is a possibility” that some members of the prosecution may let go of their duty as prosecutor and act as spokesperson for the panel.“We didn&#x27;t have a meeting to discuss whether we&#x27;ll reduce the number of prosecutors, pero I think from the consultations that we have been having in the last couple of days, no one will resign.&quot;&quot;Tuloy po ‘yung trabaho ng lahat ng House public prosecutors and House private prosecutors… Tuloy ‘yung dual roles. Tingin ko, hindi po tayo dapat mangimi na magpaliwanag sa publiko, basta within the sub judice ruling po ng presiding officer,” Ridon said.“Sa House of Public Prosecutors, we had been elected by plenary, at tingin ko po hindi po namin ‘yun babasagin. At syempre ‘yung mga private prosecutors, pinagkatiwalaan po sila ng public prosecutors na kaya din po nilang bitbitin ‘yung pagtataya dito po sa paglilitis po na ito. So tuloy lang din po ‘yung po aming gampanin hanggang pinakadulo,” he added.“Tingin ko tuloy pa rin naman si Atty. Jay Tolosa doon sa kanya pong gampanin bilang legal spokesperson at the same ruling naman po applies to him and to us. So we will implement it within the bounds of the sub judice ruling, but also within the bounds of the exceptions, which is true, fair, and accurate reporting of trial outcomes,” the House Impeachment Prosecutor said.<div> </div><div>ADDITIONAL PROSECUTION SPOX</div>It is likely that the House prosecution will add spokespersons, who are not covered by the sub judice rule, according to Ridon.“Wala pa naman pong pagpipinal, pero syempre ‘yung ilan po sa mga tinitingnan po natin ‘yung mga dating mga myembro po ng Kamara at mga kasalukuyang myembro din po ng Kamara na hindi po necessarily bound by the sub judice ruling of the presiding officer… Pwede pong abogado, pwede rin pong hindi mga abogado,” he said.“Mayroon pa lang po kaming initial list nitong nagdaan pong mga araw. Pero syempre, we have to discuss it with them first at hopefully may maidagdag po tayo sa ating pong panel,” Ridon added.“There will be indeed adjustments but the adjustments will not be in the form or the number of the house prosecutors,” he noted.<div> </div><div>NOT SCARED</div>The Prosecution is “not scared” of Col. Raymund Lachica’s testimony on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged confidential fund misuse, but House Prosecution Adviser and spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers sees “no need” for it yet.OVP’s former special disbursing officer Gina Acosta previously told the Senate Impeachment Court that she “disbursed” the confidential funds to Lachica, who “implemented” the OVP&#x27;s confidential activities.“Sa aming paniwala, hindi naman na kailangan i-presenta pa sa puntong ito itong si Colonel Lachica, unless mayroon siyang may dadagdag na evidentiary value doon sa ina-allege natin sa article na ito… Kung anuman ‘yung kanyang gustong sabihin o makukuha natin sa kanya, tingnan natin kung ipe-presenta rin siya ng defense. Dahil kung gustong malamang kung saan napunta ‘yung hawak niyang pera na ilang daang milyon ‘yun, e dapat i-presenta siya ng depensa para nang sa ganun ay malinis ‘ yung paglalatag nila na ito ay ginamit sa tama. Pero absent that, I don&#x27;t think magkakaroon ng tamang konklusyon na ito ay ginamit sa tama,” Barbers said.“Takot ba ang prosecution na i-presenta bilang hostile witness si Col. Lachica? Ang sagot ko doon ay hindi. Bakit kami matatakot? Sa aming paniwala, doon sa… witnesses na ipinpresenta na ng prosecution, sapat na ‘yun para mapatibay namin ‘yung allegations that there was misuse, misappropriation at saka irregular liquidation,” he added.Barbers also sees no need for the testimony of Duterte’s alleged bagman Ramily Madriaga at this point.He, meanwhile, believes there are questions that may still be answered by Defense Counsel and former Education Undersecretary Michael Poa regarding the impeachment article accusing Duterte of misusing DepEd’s confidential funds when she was at its helm.“Bilang isang assistant chief of staff ng DepEd noong panahon na ‘yun… Marami ring dokumentong dumadaan sa kanya na sinusuri nila at maaring pinipirmahan nila. And that must be made clear before the Senator Judges. Kasi nga, ito bang pondong ito… sa DepEd. Ang mayroong bang power o authority na gastusin ‘yan ay si Michael Poa o ‘yung mas mataas sa kanya? ‘Yun, dapat maintindihan ng ating mga senator judges ito. Number one. Number two, yung mga paggamit nila ng pondong yan na confidential at intelligence fund na bihirang-bihirang na ibibigay sa DepEd Secretary, eh tama ba ang pagkakagastos? ‘Yan ba ay may legal o illegal na basehan? Kasi kung may illegal, isa kang abogado, e dapat naiintindihan mo na hindi mo dapat pinapayagan ‘yung mga ganyan. You could have given a sound advice doon sa maaaring mag-implement n’yan. So marami pang tanong na dapat masagot,” Barbers said.House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega believes there are alleged “inconsistencies” in the testimony of OVP Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio during the impeachment trial.“Nung mga lawyers po ‘yung nagtatanong, ‘yung sa prosecutor, sabi niya, baka nga po siguro wala rin pong alam si VP Sara kung ano po nangyayari or kung saan nagastos o saan nagamit ‘yung confidential funds. Pero noong si Presiding Officer, si Senator Judge Chiz Escudero na ‘yung nagtanong, naiintindihan ko po na... mayroong utos at mayroong instructions galing sa head of office na gamitin at gastusin ang confidential funds. Pero diretso po dito kay Colonel Lachica, which is bawal po… Nag-iba na ‘yung sagot.&quot;&quot;Noong una, baka wala daw pong alam si VP Sara. Tapos noong Senator-Judges na ‘yung nagtatanong, ang sagot na niya, eh naiintindihan ko po na mayrooon siyang alam dito,” Ortega said.He and Barbers asserted that evidence against Duterte on the alleged confidential fund misuse is “glaring”, and her subordinates cannot cover up for her.“Very glaring naman po. Actually, doon pa lang po kay Gina Acosta… Busog na busog na ako. Kasi nga, sinabi naman po niya, klarong-klaro, head of office, inutos sa kanya. Binigay nila ‘yung pera. Tapos ‘yung sumunod na mga statements ng other witnesses, mayroon pong utos… klarong-klaro. Mayroon ngang request for confidential funds. Ang problema, hindi na-liquidate, hindi nasunod ‘yung proseso, na-undermine po ‘yung ating processes. Na-undermine po ‘yung tamang utilization. Kaya ngayon, marami pong nagiging makakalimutin, marami na rin pong hindi maalala, marami na rin pong hindi masabi kung saan nagamit,” Ortega said.“Hindi pwedeng itago na may kinalaman ang ating Pangalawang Pangulo, because ‘yung mga dokumento ang nagsasabi na mayroon siyang direct supervision, alam niya paano inimplement.In fact, sila ‘yung nagsubmit ng plano at ito ay pinatunayan ng kanyang signature. Hindi pwedeng itago lamang ng ahensyang ‘yun na hanggang doon lang ang kanilang kinalaman. Hindi pwedeng pagtakpan na mayroong kinalaman ang kanilang head ng ahensya,” Barbers added.

No member of the prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will resign, according to House Impeachment Prosecutor Terry Ridon.

No member of the prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will resign, according to House Impeachment Prosecutor Terry Ridon.

No prosecutor in Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial will resign—Ridon

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No prosecutor in Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial will resign—Ridon

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 28, 2026 05:11 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte

impeachment trial

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