Sumagot na ang kampo ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa Articles of Impeachment laban sa kanya, at hiniling sa Senate Impeachment Court na ibasura ang kaso dahil umano sa mga depekto nito.
Inihain ng kampo ni Duterte ang kanyang Answer ngayong June 1, ang deadline na itinakda ng impeachment court. Sa executive summary, sinabi ng defense na “the Articles of Impeachment are constitutionally infirm, procedurally defective, and substantively deficient.”
Sentro ng sagot ng defense ang argumento na lumampas umano ang House Committee on Justice sa tungkulin nito nang magsagawa ng tinawag nilang trial-like proceedings.
“The House Committee on Justice (COJ) conducted a ‘trial’ but trial can be done only by the Senate,” ayon sa executive summary.
Giit ng kampo ni Duterte, dapat hanggang pagtukoy lamang ng sufficiency in form and substance ang papel ng House panel. Pero ayon sa defense, ang komite ay nag-isyu ng subpoenas, tumanggap ng testimonial at documentary evidence, nagsuri ng witnesses, at gumawa ng credibility assessments.
“The Constitution vests in the House the power to initiate impeachment proceedings, but reserves the power to try and decide impeachment cases solely to the Senate,” saad ng executive summary.
Inakusahan din ng defense ang House panel ng pre-judgment. Ayon sa kanilang summary, may mga pahayag umano bago matapos ang hearings na sapat na ang boto at ebidensya laban kay Duterte.
“There are clear indications and declarations that the COJ had predetermined the impeachment of the Vice President even before purported additional evidence were received, completed, and assessed,” ayon sa dokumento.
Tinuligsa rin ng kampo ni Duterte ang paggamit umano ng ebidensyang hindi kasama sa orihinal na mga impeachment complaint. Ayon sa defense, lumitaw lamang sa committee hearings ang ilang affidavits, witness testimonies, AMLC materials, Ombudsman records, SEC documents, at iba pang submissions.
“In answering the impeachment complaint against her, due process demands that the respondent is confronted with ALL the accusations and supposed evidence against her,” ayon sa executive summary.
Giit pa nito, ang bagong ebidensya ay isinama sa Articles matapos makapaghain na si Duterte ng naunang Answer sa complaints. Para sa defense, inalisan siya nito ng sapat na pagkakataong sumagot.
“This deprived her of a meaningful opportunity to address the allegations against her and constitutes a fundamental violation of due process,” saad ng summary.
Isa pang pangunahing argumento ng defense: hindi dapat saklawin ng impeachment ang mga bagay na naganap umano bago siya naging Vice President.
“Under controlling case law, an impeachable officer is answerable only for alleged acts or omissions while holding the impeachable office,” ayon sa summary.
Sinabi ng kampo ni Duterte na may mga alegasyon sa Articles na tumutukoy sa panahon niya bilang mayor at vice mayor ng Davao City, na hindi na umano dapat sakop ng impeachable office.
Sa confidential funds, iginiit ng defense na walang final finding mula sa competent tribunal na nagpatunay ng misuse, malversation, plunder, graft, o unlawful disbursement.
“On the matter of the Vice President’s confidential funds, there is no showing that she misused or absconded the same,” ayon sa executive summary.
Sa SALN at unexplained wealth, sinabi ng defense na hindi sapat ang Articles para ipakita na may ill-gotten o hidden wealth.
“On the SALN of the Vice President, under the law, it must be shown that her assets were illegally acquired and/or that she willfully concealed her assets,” ayon sa summary.
“The Articles of Impeachment failed to show ill-gotten or hidden wealth,” dagdag nito.
Sa allegations ng political destabilization, sedition, at threats laban sa government officials, iginiit ng kampo ni Duterte na nakabatay ang charges sa statements na kinuha umano out of context, hindi niya sinabi, o walang competent at admissible evidence.
“Constitutional accountability cannot rest upon conjecture, innuendo, or strained interpretations of political statements,” ayon sa executive summary.
Sa dulo, sinabi ng defense na hindi naabot ng Articles ang standard para sa culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, high crimes, o betrayal of public trust.
“The allegations against the Vice President fall short of the threshold,” saad ng summary.
“For these reasons, the Vice President respectfully submits that the Articles of Impeachment suffer from fatal constitutional, procedural, and substantive defects. They fail to satisfy the standards required by the Constitution and, accordingly, should be dismissed,” dagdag nito.
Sa panig ng House prosecution, inaasahang maghahain sila ng reply sa loob ng limang araw sa ilalim ng impeachment rules. Nauna nang sinabi ng lead prosecutors na handa silang kontrahin ang anumang pagtatangkang ipabasura ang Articles at itutulak nilang dumaan ang kaso sa trial.
Noong May, in-impeach ng House si Duterte sa botong 257-25-9.
Sa Senado, kailangan ng 16 boto mula sa 24 senator-judges para ma-convict siya. Kapag napatunayang guilty, maaari siyang matanggal sa puwesto at madiskwalipika sa paghawak ng public office. /Bistado