The prosecution panel on Wednesday pointed out that, while Vice President Sara Duterte’s camp insists the House Justice Committee’s previous inquiry was a “mini trial,” her lawyers failed to attend every hearing, forfeiting the opportunity to examine resource persons and defend their client.

Prosecution Spokesperson and Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong maintained that the confirmation hearings establishing probable cause were an exercise of constitutional duty.

“We take exception to the remarks of the defense labelling and describing the COJ hearing in the House of Representatives as a ‘mini trial.’ Because number one, alam naman natin from the very start that the confirmation hearing of the Committee on Justice is actually a performance of the constitutional duty that was granted to the House of Representatives,” he said during a press conference after today’s impeachment trial.

The House Committee on Justice had given Duterte and her legal team the option to attend the hearings, but she refused to show up or direct her lawyers to attend any of them, the lawmaker said.

In skipping the hearings, Duterte effectively waived the opportunity to give her account on the Articles of Impeachment.

“Ang problema po, is the Committee on Justice had extended a leeway for the respondent … and her team to be able to attend and then have the opportunity to examine those resource persons that we invited. Unfortunately, they have consistently failed to attend in the confirmation hearings,” Adiong told reporters.

Earlier, Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero granted the prosecution’s motion for judicial notice of House hearing transcripts, video recordings, and committee reports.

However, these materials are not considered evidence, even as they enjoy the presumption of official regularity, or the presumption that officials involved followed lawful procedure. This means the court accepts the materials merely as existing official records, not proof of the findings they contain.