NAGPAHAYAG ng pagkabahala ang spokesman ng House prosecution panel sa sinabi ni Senate impeachment court spokesperson Atty. Reginald Tongol, na tila nagbibigay ng legal na estratehiya para kay Vice President Sara Duterte.

Sa isang panayam ni Karen Davila sa Headstart nitong Huwebes, nagbabala ang tagapagsalita ng House prosecution panel na si Atty. Antonio Audie Bucoy sa ganitong uri ng “lawyering.”

“If you will recall, I heard a soundbite from the statement of the Senate spokesperson, Atty. Tongol. Sinabi niya, ‘You know, if I were the Vice President, I will file a motion to dismiss.’ Why is he hinting? Why is he telegraphing? Hindi ho ba?” ani Bucoy.

Nagbabala si Bucoy na ang nasabing komento ni Tongol ay lumagpas sa dapat.

“He is the spokesperson of the Senate, so we can assume he is speaking the minds of the Senate—spokesperson siya eh. Like me, I’m the spokesperson for the prosecution. What I say might bind them, or it can reflect the mindset of the prosecutors,” giit ni Bucoy.

Dagdag pa niya, “In his case, when he made that statement, not only is it grossly inappropriate—it’s wrong. Outright wrong. You are broadcasting, ‘I’ll file a motion to dismiss.’”

Nag-follow-up si Karen Davila, “Why are they lawyering for the Vice President?”

“That’s it. He (Tongol) is following the footsteps of some of the biased senators. The likes of Senator (Ronald “Bato”) Dela Rosa who as a judge moved to dismiss. The judge doesn’t move to dismiss. It’s the parties that do that, ‘di ba?” tugon ni Bucoy.

Lumilitaw ang pangambang ito habang naghahanda ang Kamara na magsumite ng pormal na pagsunod sa dalawang kundisyong itinakda ng Senado nang ibalik nito ang Articles of Impeachment laban sa Pangalawang Pangulo nitong unang bahagi ng buwan.

Una, humiling ang Senado ng sertipikasyon na ang impeachment process ay alinsunod sa Section 3, Article XI ng Konstitusyon—na may verified complaint na inihain, napatunayang may sapat na porma at substansya, at inendorso ng hindi bababa sa isang-katlo ng lahat ng miyembro ng Kamara.

Ikalawa, humiling ito ng paglilinaw mula sa papasok na ika-20 Kongreso na layon nitong ituloy ang pag-uusig sa Articles of Impeachment na inaprubahan noong ika-19 na Kongreso.

“One scenario is that we will file the compliance for both. Condition number one and condition number two,” ani Bucoy.

“Once we filed that, watch out, the nation must monitor this. What will they do? Will they proceed to trial or not? Or will they put up another stumbling block?” dagdag pa niya.

Naitanong ni Davila kung maaaring magsampa muli ang Senado ng “another motion to discuss jurisdiction,” na sinagot ni Bucoy ng, “Correct. Tama ‘yan. They’re laying the basis now.”

In-impeach ng House of Representatives si Duterte noong Pebrero 5, 2025, dahil sa mga kasong kinabibilangan ng culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, at maling paggamit ng confidential funds, kung saan 215 na mambabatas ang nag-endorso ng reklamo.

Ang Senado, bilang impeachment court, ay may konstitusyonal na tungkuling magsagawa ng buong paglilitis sa sandaling makuha ang hurisdiksyon.

Gayunpaman, inamin ni Bucoy na maaaring may ilang senador na nais umiwas sa panganib na dulot ng pagboto para sa conviction o acquittal bago ang 2028 elections.

“Some senators may not even want the burden of acquitting or convicting. Either way, it will make them unpopular,” ani Davila. “So you may have some senators who, technically, are like Pontius Pilate—‘I wash my hands of this man’s death.’”

“Yes, tama. You’re correct,” sagot ni Bucoy.

Sa kabila ng mga alalahaning ito, sinabi ni Bucoy na handa pa rin ang prosecution panel na ituloy ang paglilitis at nanawagan sa publiko na manatiling mapagmatyag.

“Watch out because this is now going to test if they (senators) will follow their oath to the Constitution, or if they will continue laying down more excuses to avoid a proper trial,” giit ni Bucoy.