Sinabi ni House impeachment trial spokesperson at Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong nitong Sabado na lalo lang pinatunayan ng pinakahuling sagot ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa Articles of Impeachment ang tingin ng prosecution na wala pa ring inilalabas na specific counter-evidence ang defense laban sa mga paratang.
Sa isang 51-page document, detalyadong sinagot ni Duterte ang Articles of Impeachment. Giit niya, ang impeachment proceedings “are void, being attended by evident bad faith and manifest partiality.”
Pero sa Saturday News Forum sa Dapo Restaurant sa Quezon City, nag-react si Alonto Adiong sa sagot ni Duterte.
“It only confirms our initial observation that the defense could not provide particular counter-evidence and argument to challenge, even to contest the allegations contained under the Articles of Impeachment,” sabi ni Alonto Adiong.
Ayon sa kanya, paulit-ulit pa ring bumabalik ang defense sa mga procedural at constitutional objections kahit nasa Senate impeachment court na ang kaso.
“From the very start, they’ve been harping about procedural objections, constitutional objections, which all of us know is already way past that stage,” sabi niya.
Sinabi ni Alonto Adiong na inaasahan ng prosecution na maglalatag na ang kampo ni Duterte ng specific evidence, documents, o arguments na direktang sasagot sa Articles of Impeachment.
Pero sa halip, aniya, inulit lang ng sagot ang dati nang atake ng defense sa proseso.
“The summation of the case that they would like to bring forth, as indicated by that statement, only validates our earlier observation na kulang talaga yung kanilang pwedeng i-offer,” sabi ni Alonto Adiong.
Giit niya, kabaligtaran ito ng naunang pahayag ng defense na handa silang harapin at sagutin ang mga alegasyon sa tamang forum.
“This is also in complete opposite to what we’ve heard during the press conference that they conducted previously, that they are ready to face and answer these allegations at the proper venue,” sabi niya.
Pinabulaanan din ni Alonto Adiong ang naiulat na depensa na ang umano’y pagbabanta ni Duterte kina President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, at dating Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez ay bahagi ng freedom of expression.
Ayon sa kanya, hindi lang ang mismong sinabi ang dapat tingnan, kundi ang epekto nito sa mga taong umano’y pinagbantaan.
“It’s not actually her utterances that should be focused on, it’s the effect of that utterances on the person that is being threatened,” sabi ni Alonto Adiong.
Aniya, dapat ding isaalang-alang ang puwesto, impluwensya, at following ni Duterte sa pagtingin sa umano’y threats.
“I think for someone who enjoys a certain privilege, influence and following, we should also take that into consideration,” sabi niya.
Giit ni Alonto Adiong, hindi pwedeng basta ituring na harmless expression ang umano’y threats, lalo na dahil si Duterte mismo ang nagdiin sa bigat ng kanyang sinabi.
“Siya mismong nagsabi: ‘no joke, no joke’,” sabi niya.
Ayon kay Alonto Adiong, dapat nang magpasya ang Senate impeachment court, batay sa ebidensiya, kung ang umano’y mga pahayag ay maituturing na betrayal of public trust o high crimes.
“That’s why we have forwarded this to the Senate so that the Senate acting as an impeachment court can actually and finally settle whether our claim and our allegation that this indeed constitutes betrayal of public trust, this would constitute high crimes,” sabi ni Alonto Adiong.
Tiwala rin aniya ang prosecution sa ebidensiyang ihaharap nito sa Senado.
“Mind you, we are confident that we have the evidence to present before the Senate,” sabi niya.
Ayon kay Alonto Adiong, mas malawak ang peligro kapag nagiging normal ang pagbabanta ng public officials sa public life.
“The societal effect of the threats is nagiging, nano-normalize yung pagbabanta sa kapwa tao na hindi dapat yun nangyayari kaninuman at maski anong oras,” sabi ni Alonto Adiong. /Bistado