Withdrawing the grave threats and confidential funds allegations from Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial does not necessarily end the legal issues surrounding them because separate proceedings remain outside the Senate Impeachment Court, a House prosecutor said on Wednesday.
House prosecutor Joel Chua of Manila stressed that the prosecution’s decision to concentrate on unexplained wealth concerns the impeachment case and does not erase other possible legal consequences arising from the abandoned charges.
“Hindi pa naman tapos ang lahat. Dahil yung mga sinasabi natin, yung grave threat at saka yung confidential fund, may criminal aspect pa yun (It’s not over yet. Because what we are talking about – the grave threats and the misuse of confidential funds – still has a criminal aspect,” Chua pointed out during a press briefing.
Duterte is separately facing three counts of grave threats before a Quezon City Regional Trial Court over remarks she made involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Complaints involving Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential and other public funds have also been brought before the Office of the Ombudsman, which operates independently of the Senate impeachment proceedings.
The impeachment court’s withdrawal of the articles means the senator-judges will no longer decide Duterte’s liability on those allegations as grounds for removal from office in the present trial.
Chua maintained, however, that withdrawal from impeachment should not be confused with termination of separate cases or investigations before other institutions.
“So, lahat naman po yan ay meron pa rin namang recourse, no. Hindi naman ibig sabihin dito, porke dinrop namin, eh wala na (So all of these have legal recourse. Just because we dropped it doesn’t mean there’s no remedy left),” he said.
“So maaaring sa impeachment, wala na, pero sa criminal aspect, sa ibang aspeto ng kaso, ay nandodoon pa rin (While it may be over regarding impeachment, when it comes to the criminal aspect, and other aspects of the case, it is still there).” (Jose Cielito Reganit/PNA)