PINURI ng isang miyembro ng House prosecution panel ang pahayag ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. na hindi ito makikialam sa nalalapit na impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte, na nagpapatibay sa prinsipyo ng separation of powers at nagbibigay-daan sa isang makatarungan at independent na paglilitis sa Senado.

“I’m glad to hear that the President, as the head of the Executive Department, will not interfere with the impeachment process,” ani House Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor ng Iloilo, isa sa mga House prosecutor sa nalalapit na impeachment trial.

“As the President is the most powerful man in the country, he will exert undue influence on the Senator-Judges and we want the Senator-Judges to act independently, free from any influence from the Executive Department,” dagdag pa niya.

Binigyang-diin niya na bagamat maaaring makaapekto sa pananaw ng publiko ang pahayag ng Pangulo, ang tunay nitong epekto ay nasa paglikha ng isang political environment kung saan makakagawa ang mga senador ng makatarungan at walang kinikilingang desisyon.

“It’s good to hear that he will not be involved so that all parties will not be judged by any undue interference from any department, considering that we have a separation of powers,” dagdag ni Defensor.

Bagamat maaaring naka-impluwensya na sa opinyon ng publiko ang pahayag ng Pangulo, iginiit ni Defensor na mayroong constitutional independence ang legislative branch sa pagresolba sa impeachment case.

Gayunpaman, kumpiyansa pa rin ang House prosecutor na tutuparin ng Senado ang tungkulin nito sa isang maingat at patas na paraan.

“But I want to see that senator-judges will act independently. And while we agree that it’s a political process and the senators have their own affiliations, we want to see a trial, an objective trial when it comes to the presentation of evidence by the prosecution as well as by the defense,” pagpapatuloy ni Defensor.