De Lima, Diokno join prosecutors in VP Sara impeach trial

MANILA, Philippines —  Poised to join the House of Representatives as first nominee of the new Mamamayang Liberal (ML) party-list, former senator Leila de Lima has accepted the invitation of Speaker Martin Romualdez to serve as one of the prosecutors in the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

In an interview with The STAR’s online show “Truth on the Line” yesterday, De Lima said Romualdez “offered that I be included in the prosecution panel, and I accepted.”

The prosecution panel will have two other new members aside from De Lima – lawyer Chel Diokno of Akbayan party-list and returning Deputy Speaker Miro Quimbo.

De Lima, a former justice secretary, was part of the first group that filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte for her alleged misuse of confidential funds, threats against President Marcos and his family including Romualdez, and accumulation of unexplained wealth, among others.

The Vice President was impeached by 215 members of the chamber on Feb. 5.

“There is a strong basis for impeaching her,” De Lima stressed in Filipino. “It’s just a continuation of my causes for accountability, for truth and for the rule of law.”

While De Lima declined to speculate on the outcome of the trial, she said it is crucial at this point that the trial proceeds.

“We are unsure if we have the numbers or not, but what’s important is that the process should already be initiated in due time,” ML’s first nominee asserted.

Two of the 11 House prosecutors were defeated in their respective reelection bid: Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon, who ran for Albay’s first congressional seat, and General Santos City Rep. Loreto Acharon.

The trial will begin on June 2 with the presentation of impeachment articles by the prosecutors and approval of the rules of procedure.

Lakas-CMD

Meanwhile, candidates of Romualdez’s Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats dominated their rivals in the midterm elections, in what he described as “a victory of trust.”

“This is not just a win for Lakas-CMD. This is a strong signal from the Filipino people: they want steady hands, clear direction and leadership that puts service above self,” Romualdez said in a statement. “And with that trust comes a duty to serve with even greater resolve.”

Based on initial reports from Lakas-CMD executive director Anna Capella Velasco, the party’s internal election monitoring system showed that its candidates were able to secure one seat in the Senate, 104 seats in the House of Representatives, 15 gubernatorial posts, 22 vice governors, 24 city mayors, 23 city vice mayors and 385 municipal mayors.

Velasco said that reports from 26 areas, including Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM (Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte), Region IX (Sulu) and Region X (Lanao del Norte) are still being finalized, with updated figures expected in the coming days.

With its overwhelming performance across all regions of the country, Lakas-CMD has reaffirmed its position as the dominant political force in the Philippines.

Romualdez also called his party’s impressive poll performance “a sweeping vote of confidence” in the party’s leadership and commitment to public service.

But he stressed the mandate from the people is not something to celebrate lightly, but should be carried with humility and a deeper sense of duty.

“We are being called to do more – to govern better, to listen harder and to deliver faster. That’s exactly what we intend to do,” Romualdez said.

He underscored that the strength of Lakas-CMD lies not just in its numbers, but in the trust it continues to earn from the people in every province, city and municipality it serves.

“From the northern tip of Luzon to the southern reaches of Mindanao, the message is the same: the people want continuity, they want performance and they want public servants they can count on,” Romualdez said.

He credited the party’s nationwide success to its alignment with the vision of President Marcos under the Bagong Pilipinas agenda.

“We are here not just to win elections, but to change lives. This is the strength of a party that stands for unity, development and real solutions,” he said.

Marcos Jr.  no role in VP trial

At Malacañang, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro denied President Marcos was laying the groundwork for the trial and conviction of Duterte.

“There’s no news about the President supposedly pursuing the impeachment trial of VP Sara, so we oppose and deny that,” Castro said when asked at a briefing to confirm the report.

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan expressed confidence in the competence of the three new prosecutors.

“As for me, I think that with their consent, they can really help us in the prosecution team,” the lead prosecutor told The STAR, referring to the three new prosecutors.

Sought for comment, Diokno said it was heartwarming to realize he could be one of the prosecutors in the impeachment trial.

“As I said earlier, we will definitely help if we are asked to, especially since Akbayan was the first to endorse the impeachment complaint,” he said.

“But this is still premature. Our party needs to deliberate on this first if there is any formal request for us to help. Right now, we are still busy on being proclaimed by the Commission on Elections,” he said.

House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales 1st District Rep. Jay Khonghun also welcomed the designation of De Lima and Diokno as prosecutors. - Delon Porcalla, Jose Rodel Clapano, Helen Flores