House prosecutor Rep. Joel Chua defended the inclusion of former Davao City sheriff Abe Andres as a witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying his testimony serves a specific purpose but declining to disclose details ahead of the proceedings.
Chua, who represents Manila's 3rd District, said the prosecution intentionally included Andres in its witness list despite questions over the relevance of an incident that occurred in 2011, when Duterte was still mayor of Davao City.
“Hindi ko pwedeng i-divulge yung kanilang purpose dahil unang-una ay ayaw ko pangunahan yung lead council, pero meron yang purpose,” Chua said in an interview on DZRH’s ‘Dos Por Dos.’
Andres was reportedly punched by Duterte in 2011 during a demolition operation in Davao City, when she was still mayor.
The House prosecution team has listed him as a witness in the impeachment case against the vice president, whose trial before the Senate impeachment court is set to begin July 6.
Asked why an incident that happened about 15 years ago is being revisited, particularly when Duterte was not yet an impeachable official at the time, Chua said the prosecution may be seeking to establish a pattern.
“Meron lamang sigurong gustong i-prove o patunayan,” he said.
According to the prosecution’s pre-trial brief, Andres’ testimony is intended to support one of the impeachment articles by showing Duterte’s alleged “tendency to inflict violence.”
The complaint against Duterte includes accusations of culpable violation of the Constitution, high crimes, and betrayal of public trust. Among the allegations cited are threats and acts said to incite unrest against the government.
Chua also said the prosecution is awaiting the impeachment court’s action on several pending motions following the completion of the pre-trial marking of evidence.
Among these is a request to allow the use of the Filipino language during proceedings to make them more accessible to the public.
Another motion seeks to open a box of documents earlier submitted by the Bureau of Internal Revenue but not yet examined.
“Tanging ang impeachment court ang aaksyon dito,” Chua said, adding that the prosecution hopes the motions will be resolved before the trial formally opens.
