Impeachment prosecutors to rely on evidence as some pro-Duterte Senate bets poll high

One of the 11 House prosecutors for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte said they are not thinking too far ahead about whether they will secure a conviction as the midterm elections loom, saying they will rely on the evidence they have.

Bukidnon Representative Jonathan Keith Flores made the response when asked if the surge in the polls of some Senate bets allied with former President Rodrigo Duterte, the father of the Vice President, is making them worried over the outcome of the looming impeachment trial.

“Well, right now, we're really focused on our individual battles. We haven't discussed the impact of the surveys. We all have an election to win. For us to be...to be able to continue being public prosecutors, we must first secure our respective wins in our districts,” Flores said in an online press conference.

“So, second, if the outcome of the national elections would lead to the event that she will have more supporters in the Senate, then it will make it more difficult on the part of the public prosecutors to convince them on how they will vote as far as the impeachment process is concerned because it is a political exercise. But I think we really have to rely on, just like any other case, you really have to rely on what you have, the evidence that you have [will deliver the conviction]. That's all you can do,” Flores added.

The Duterte patriarch was arrested on March 11 and subsequently detained in the International Criminal Court (ICC) facility in the Netherlands over alleged crimes against humanity in connection with the drug war during his presidency and the Davao Death Squad when he was  mayor.

But while it was an undeniable setback, the former President’s bets for the Senate have since scored gains in pre-election polls, with incumbent Senators Bong Go and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa ranking in the top five.

“You cannot go beyond the evidence you secured. Whether or not it is enough to convince the senators or the senator judges, that would really depend on the senator judges themselves. And of course, you have the public opinion. That's the ultimate test,” Flores said.

“The Senators, even if they say that they will be judging it based on what was presented, they still will listen to the people. For us [prosecutors], our work is on the evidence. Because we need to present strong evidence, regardless of who will win in the Senate race,” he added. — BM, GMA Integrated News

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