MANILA, Philippines – Members of the House prosecution team on Monday insisted they have no knowledge of any talks for a “trade-off” involving Vice President Sara Duterte’s resignation that will pave the way for her to run in the 2028 elections.
House prosecution panel adviser and spokesperson, former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert “Ace” Barbers, said that any purported political negotiations are outside the prosecution’s mandate.
“Well, as far as the prosecution panel is concerned, we are in this process of determining truth and accountability,” Barbers said in Filipino and English in a press briefing at the sidelines of Day 15 of the vice president’s impeachment trial.
“I don’t know if that would be a possible scenario, at least in my own personal opinion,” he added.
The former lawmaker was replying to questions about unverified reports that Duterte had privately reached out to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and offered to step down in exchange for being allowed to pursue the presidency in 2028.
“If there are any talks regarding those supposed trade-offs, that is not a matter for the prosecution panel. Our task is to proceed with the trial, present the evidence, and ensure that the public understands what that evidence is,” he said, stressing that the prosecution’s authority comes from the constitutional accountability process, rather than any political arrangement outside the Senate impeachment court.
“We are complying with the mandate of our Constitution to establish an accountability mechanism for certain high-ranking government officials, ensuring they are held answerable should they violate the law,” he added.
Meanwhile, House prosecutor and San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria “Bel” Zamora cautioned against treating reports circulating online as established fact.
“Well, actually I saw that in several Facebook posts, but of course we have no confirmation about that and with so many trolls now we don’t know what is true. So, let’s just wait if that is indeed true,” she said.
