House Prosecutor and Manila Rep. Joel Chua clarified that all 11 members of the House Prosecution Team assigned to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte have specific responsibilities, stressing that no member is merely "for display."

During a press briefing, Chua dismissed claims that public prosecutors who were not seen presenting arguments during the proceedings were not contributing to the case.

He explained that the prosecution team is divided according to specific assignments, with both public and private prosecutors handling different witnesses and aspects of the impeachment trial.

“Marami kasing mga testigo, iba-ibang testigo, iba-iba yung mga hahawak. May public prosecutor na hahawak, mayroon ding private. Pero hindi po ibig sabihin porke hindi sumalang yung public prosecutor eh display na lamang,” Chua said.

“May ibang public prosecutor, iba naman po ang kanilang trabaho, iba po ang kanilang task sa grupo. Na sa tingin po namin mas magiging effective po sila sa ganitong task,” he added.

According to Chua, every member of the prosecution panel plays an important role in preparing witnesses, reviewing documents, conducting legal research, and carrying out other responsibilities necessary for the impeachment proceedings.

He also noted that not every lawyer involved in the case is expected to appear during hearings, as many are tasked with research, paperwork, and other support functions essential to the prosecution's preparation.

“Huwag po nating sasabihin na porke hindi sumalang yung public or private prosecutors at nandyan lamang ay hindi na sila mahalaga,” Chua said.

Chua further emphasized that the public prosecutors remain at the forefront of the case, overseeing witness preparation and deliberating on which private prosecutors will present each article of impeachment.

“Ang mga nagdesisyon po niyan mga public prosecutors. Kami po ang nag-deliberate niyan, kami po ang nag-usap-usap at kami ang nagdesisyon,” he said.

Despite the demanding workload, Chua said both public and private prosecutors remain committed to pursuing the impeachment case against Duterte.

“Hindi po porke hindi niyo nakita doon ay wala ng ginagawa lahat po ‘yan may ginagawa. In fact, halos lahat po kami dito pagod, hindi lang po yung private pati po yung public prosecutors ay pagod din po,” Chua said.