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MANILA, Philippines — While the impeachment trial would push through even if Vice President Sara Duterte and her legal team skip proceedings in the Senate, a lawmaker believes this will put her at a disadvantage since the senator-judges will rely on the prosecution’s evidence.
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, the lead public prosecutor for Duterte’s trial, said in a press briefing on Tuesday that if the evidence attached would not be rebutted by the vice president’s camp, senator-judges may lean towards a conviction.
“I believe that it will be disadvantageous for her if she will not be presenting her evidence because there’s already evidence presented by the complainant, and the same evidence will be presented before the impeachment court,” Luistro said when asked about the possibility that Duterte would not attend the trial.
“If this evidence will continue to be unrebutted, uncontroverted, there is a possibility that the senator-judges will be appreciating the evidence in favor of conviction,” she added.
