A House official on Saturday warned that Vice President Sara Duterte may risk conviction if she does not appear in a potential Senate impeachment trial.
House Committee on Justice chair Gerville Luistro said Duterte’s presence during the proceedings would be critical once the Senate forms an impeachment court.
She said the trial would serve as the vice president’s opportunity to answer the allegations and present evidence in her defense.
Luistro noted that Duterte had been absent during the House panel’s clarificatory hearings on the impeachment complaints filed against her.
She said failing to participate in the trial could leave the accusations unchallenged, which may influence how senator-judges assess the case.
The lawmaker explained that while the House had found enough basis to proceed with impeachment, the final outcome would depend on the evidence that the defense would submit.
She added that both conviction and acquittal remain possible, depending on how the case is argued before the Senate.
Luistro also said senator-judges are expected to weigh the evidence carefully and act independently, as the House prepares to vote on the Articles of Impeachment, which would require at least 106 votes to transmit the case to the Senate.