(Photo by PNA)
The House prosecution panel has withdrawn the bribery charge against Vice President Sara Duterte, citing sufficient evidence presented on three other impeachment articles and the need to avoid further delays in the Senate trial.
House prosecutor and Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores confirmed Friday, October 9, that the prosecution had formally informed the Senate impeachment court of its decision through a manifestation filed on October 6.
“I think we already filed our manifestation last Tuesday, that we will be dropping bribery. So, the team already came to a decision na we will end with Article II,” Flores said during a press briefing.
The withdrawn charge falls under Article III of the impeachment complaint, which accuses Duterte of allegedly bribing Department of Education (DepEd) officials to influence procurement decisions during her tenure as education secretary.
Flores explained that the prosecution decided against pursuing the allegation after assessing the evidence already presented under the remaining articles.
He said extending the proceedings to include the bribery charge could unnecessarily prolong the trial and test the patience of both the public and senator-judges.
“Ang timetable na sinasabi namin is that we think we have already presented enough on all the three articles and to drag it further pa na i-include pa namin ’yung bribery might be siguro stretching the patience not only of the people but also of the senator-judges, too long na,” Flores said.
The prosecution has already presented evidence under Article I, which involves the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and DepEd.
It has also completed its presentation under Article IV, concerning Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez during a livestream in November 2024.
The panel is now wrapping up its presentation under Article II, which focuses on allegations of unexplained wealth involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
Evidence presented under Article II includes bank transactions, tax records, property documents, and Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).
Flores clarified that the prosecution’s earlier request for 60 days to present its case was intended to accommodate possible interruptions and unforeseen developments, rather than indicate that the panel would use the entire period.
He also said the Senate impeachment court had raised no objection to the decision to withdraw Article III, noting that prosecutors have the discretion to determine which charges to pursue.
“There was no reaction from the impeachment court, kasi it’s totally at the discretion of the prosecution team po kung anong articles ang ipro-prosecute nila,” Flores said.
Meanwhile, fellow House prosecutor and 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez emphasized that each impeachment article must be evaluated independently.
“All articles of impeachment that were filed, would stand on their own,” Gutierrez said.
With the bribery charge withdrawn, the prosecution intends to rest its case after completing its presentation of evidence under Article II.
The decision leaves three impeachment articles being pursued against Duterte, with the Senate impeachment court tasked with evaluating the evidence and determining whether the allegations warrant conviction.
