By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — House prosecution legal spokesperson Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. on Friday said Vice President Sara Duterte’s improved public satisfaction ratings have no bearing on the impeachment proceedings, stressing that the outcome of the trial will depend on evidence presented before the Senate and not on opinion surveys.
Tolosa said impeachment is a constitutional process designed to determine whether a public official committed impeachable offenses, adding that popularity cannot serve as a defense against allegations of constitutional violations or betrayal of public trust.
Speaking during a press briefing, the private prosecutor emphasized that public approval reflects voters’ assessment of an official’s performance but does not exempt any impeachable official from being subjected to constitutional accountability.
The statement came after the release of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing an increase in Duterte’s satisfaction rating. Tolosa noted that the survey was conducted from June 20 to 29, before the Senate impeachment trial formally opened, and measured public satisfaction rather than the merits of the impeachment case.
According to the prosecution, respondents may express approval of the Vice President’s public service while still recognizing the Senate’s constitutional duty to determine the truth behind the allegations raised in the Articles of Impeachment.
Tolosa cited the impeachment trial of the late former Chief Justice Renato Corona, recalling that public opinion shifted only after evidence was presented before the impeachment court. He urged the public to closely follow the proceedings before forming conclusions on the case.
Under the Constitution, the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, is vested with the authority to determine whether an impeachable official is liable for culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.
Earlier, House prosecution spokesperson Rep. Robert Ace Barbers also rejected suggestions that Duterte’s favorable survey numbers should halt the proceedings, saying constitutional accountability cannot be dictated by popularity.
Barbers maintained that allowing public opinion polls to determine whether an impeachment trial should proceed would effectively place popularly elected officials beyond constitutional scrutiny, contrary to the accountability mechanisms established under the Constitution.
The impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte is continuing before the Senate Impeachment Court, with the prosecution presenting evidence in support of the Articles of Impeachment filed by the House of Representatives.
ia/xf
