Palace: Senator-judges should remain unbiased
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang yesterday expressed hope that senator-judges of the impeachment court trying Vice President Sara Duterte would remain unbiased and would not sweep evidence under the rug just to cover up wrongdoing.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said judges ask questions during trial to clarify things and to ferret out the truth, not to cross examine witnesses.
She added that during the impeachment trial, there were attempts to alter the interpretation of the law and to interrupt witnesses who were answering questions.
“They (senator-judges) should not debate with witnesses because their mandate is to determine the truth for the people, not to whitewash the law, sweep whatever the people need to know under the rug to cover up wrongdoing,” Castro said in a press briefing yesterday.
Castro declined to provide names, but claimed that one of the most biased statements made by a senator judge was the assertion that only the special disbursement officer should be accountable. Sen. Imee Marcos, the estranged elder sister of President Marcos and an ally of Duterte, made the remark.
“The head of the agency was forgotten,” Castro said.
There is “presumption” that Duterte misused her confidential funds for personal gain when she did not properly liquidate with official receipts and sales invoices, former Confidential Fund Audit Office auditor and prosecution witness Roderick Wamil said.
During Day 13 of the impeachment trial on Wednesday, Wamil was asked by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri about the “possibility of misuse and abuse of government funds on confidential and intelligence funds.”
Calling their audit “document-based,” Wamil said “if the funds are not properly liquidated, meaning all documents are submitted, and the documents are not compliant with the requirements of the Joint Circular, there is a presumption that the amount is put to personal use or benefit.”
Meanwhile, prosecutor Amando Ligutan said yesterday Duterte cannot feign innocence over the still-unaccounted P500 million confidential funds her office had spent in 2022 and 2023. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Daphne Galvez, Delon Porcalla
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