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'IT IS RIDICULOUS, UNACCEPTABLE'

Defense lead counsel Atty. Sheila Sison criticized the prosecution’s decision to withdraw three articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte on Day 39 of her impeachment trial, calling the move “ridiculous” and “unacceptable.”

Sison questioned the prosecution’s messaging after presenting witnesses and evidence for 38 days, only to withdraw the three articles, saying the move was intended to speed up the proceedings.

Earlier, lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro said that if the defense wanted to make all its evidence public, it could consider other avenues for sharing the materials. (Video courtesy of Senate of the Philippines)

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00:00In the first place, when the lead prosecutor mentioned that if the respondent wants to be heard, there are other
00:07platforms where we can show and present our evidence.
00:15I'm not sure if I heard that right. And to be frank, it sounds, it is ridiculous to even suggest
00:26to the respondent that, hey, after 38 days, we present all of the people that we believe is that they
00:38can give damage to their reputation.
00:41At kaya mag-identify ng mga dokumento na gusto namin marinig ng taong bayan.
00:48Pero ang gagawin namin sa bandang huli ay i-withdraw namin lahat ito.
00:52At sasabihin na lamang namin na ito ay para sa taong bayan, para may kaunti namang kabilisan ang trial na
01:02ito.
01:02But nonetheless, may iba ka namang platform respondent that is the messaging that the prosecution seems to want to impart
01:18before the public and before this honorable court.
01:21It is unbelievable. And to be honest, it is unacceptable.
01:26Platform for the respondent. Does the prosecution really want the respondent na puta lang ang respondent sa Facebook?
01:38And where else?
01:41Matapos nilang sirain
01:48ang vicepresidente
01:52sa harap ng publiko
01:54At ngayon ang sasabihin ay
01:56tutulungan ng taong bayan
01:58para mamadali ang proseso
02:04Sa tingin ko, hindi natin kailangan ng
02:07higit pang patunay na
02:08something really, really wrong
02:11is going on here.
02:16Now, binanggit rin ng lead prosecutor
02:19yung 2025 impeachment complaint
02:22that
02:23the prosecution allegedly
02:25wants to help the public
02:27because, you know, they're interested
02:29because the impeachment complaints against
02:31the vicepresident have been going on
02:33since 2025.
02:34In fact, I will probably need to correct that because
02:37the impeachment campaign against the vicepresident
02:39did not only begin in 2025
02:41when the Supreme Court
02:43junked
02:43and nullified
02:45void ab initio
02:47the impeachment complaints
02:49filed
02:50or the articles of impeachment
02:51that the 19th House of Representatives
02:54filed
02:56Baka nakakalimutan natin
02:58na itong dahilan kung bakit
02:59may disisyon ngayon na Duterte versus
03:01H.O.R.
03:02Kaya hindi ko rin alam
03:03kung saan nang gagaling
03:04yung sugestyon na iyan.
03:06But
03:07let us be clear
03:11whatever is the decision
03:13of the prosecution
03:15on how to manage its case
03:17or how to secure its case
03:19and whether it thinks that
03:21its case can survive
03:23on one article alone
03:25at
03:26hindi na nila kailangan pa
03:29ng ebidensya
03:30or to offer evidence
03:31on Articles 1
03:32the confidential funds
03:34and Article 4
03:35on grave threats
03:37at yung
03:39Article 3
03:40on bribery and corruption
03:42that's their call
03:44that's their lookout
03:47and kagaya ng
03:49isang batayang prinsipyo
03:51sa lahat
03:52ng
03:53hukuman
03:55the prosecution's
03:57case
03:58must stand
04:00or fall
04:00on its own
04:02so kung
04:03pahihinain
04:04ng
04:06pagwi-withdraw
04:07ng tatlong
04:07articles
04:08ang kaso na ito
04:09ng prosecution
04:10that's
04:10theirs
04:11to bear
04:12to bear
04:13that's their burden
04:14that's not the defense burden
04:17and the defense
04:19will proceed
04:20as it deems
04:21fit
04:21lalo na
04:23sa pagkakataong ito
04:25nagkumugol
04:26ang taong bayan
04:29ng tatlong put
04:31walong araw
04:32marahil marami
04:33sa kanilang
04:34hindi pa pumapasok
04:35sa kanilang
04:35sa kanilang
04:37trabaho
04:37para masubaybayan
04:39ang pagdilitis
04:40na ito
04:41at hindi lang yun
04:42gumugol tayo
04:44ng government
04:46resources
04:46para sa trial
04:48na ito
04:48in fact
04:50I would even
04:51go as far
04:52as say that
04:53the withdrawal
04:54should already
04:55be
04:56one of the reasons
04:58why the articles
04:59of impeachment
05:00entire articles
05:01of impeachment
05:01should be dismissed
05:07isang pruweba
05:09kahapon narinig natin
05:10tinanong pa
05:11yung
05:13galledge
05:14forensic
05:15financial expert
05:19at
05:22pingilit
05:23na
05:23so saan mo ba
05:25may attribute to
05:27at ano binanggit niya
05:28confidential funds
05:29and now
05:30we hear today
05:31the prosecution say
05:32that they're withdrawing
05:34the articles
05:34and the allegations
05:36doon sa confidential funds
05:38so
05:39yes
05:39it goes into
05:40the very right
05:41of the respondent
05:42to do process
05:43at kung ano man
05:45ang gagawin
05:45ng hukuman ito
05:47sa paglilitis na ito
05:49hindi lang respondent
05:50ang apektado dito
05:51dahil
05:52ano man ang mangyari
05:53sa hukuman na ito
05:54ito ang mensahe
05:55na ibinibigay natin
05:57sa taong bayan
05:58ito ang
05:59ehemplo
05:59at modelo
06:00na sinasabi natin
06:01sa mamamayang Pilipino
06:02na pwede ito
06:04pwede itong gawin
06:05sa vicepresidente ninyo
06:07kaya pwede rin itong gawin
06:09sa kahit kanino
06:11sa inyo
06:12kapag kayo
06:13ang naharap
06:13sa isang pagsasakdal
06:15hindi ko namin papayagan yan
06:17sa inyo
06:17sa inyo
06:17sa inyo

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