HOUSE Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Alonto Adiong on Sunday defended the inclusion of Congresswoman-elect Leila de Lima in the House prosecution panel for the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, asserting that her expertise on extrajudicial killings (EJKs) significantly strengthens the case.
In a radio interview over dzBB, Adiong described De Lima’s appointment as legitimate, strategic and fully in line with the rules of the House of Representatives, countering criticisms raised by some quarters over her political history with former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, whose daughter will be facing trial soon.
“Wala naman siyang conflict dahil ang sinasabi naman sa rules, sa aming rules, ay kailangan miyembro ng House of Representatives. Si Congresswoman Leila De Lima naman ay magiging member ng House of Representatives sa 20th Congress,” Adiong explained.
Adiong also pointed out that the House is allowed to engage external legal experts to help build a strong case, citing precedent from the 2012 impeachment trial of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona.
“Allowed naman din na kumuha ang House of Representatives ng mga private lawyers. Makikita natin dun during the time of Corona na merong nag-appear dyan as members of the prosecution na mga private practitioners na mga lawyers,” he said.
The lawmaker said De Lima’s track record and legal experience make her especially qualified to help prosecute the verified impeachment charges involving the Duterte administration’s drug war.
“We would not deny that. Isa sa mga Articles of Impeachment ay ‘yung EJK. And I guess the background of Congresswoman-elect De Lima, as far as the issue on EJK is concerned, expertise talaga niya ’yan,” Adiong said.
Adiong said De Lima is well-versed in the cases of disappearances and the number of EJK victims, citing the affidavits of whistleblowers Arturo Lascañas and Edgar Matobato as key sources.
Lascañas and Matobato are both self-confessed hitmen who claimed to be members of the so-called Davao Death Squad, allegedly run by former President Duterte and linked to the EJKs of hundreds to thousands of drug suspects and other alleged criminals in Davao City.
“I think ‘yung affidavit ni Matobato at ni Lascañas would have to play a very important role in how Congresswoman-elect De Lima would present and approach her case should she finally join officially the prosecution team and perhaps take on the issue,” Adiong said.
Article 5 of the impeachment complaint accuses Vice President Duterte of committing high crimes, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The article is supported by testimonial evidence from Lascañas, who claimed that Duterte, during her time as Davao City mayor, personally ordered assassinations under “Operation Tokhang” and that victims’ bodies were secretly buried in mass graves at the Laud quarry.
Impeachment prosecutors believe the presence of direct testimonial evidence significantly strengthens the case against the Vice President and have expressed confidence that this charge alone could be sufficient to secure a conviction.
Adiong said the goal of the House is to form the most capable and credible team, regardless of past political alignments.
“So ‘yung sinasabi nilang for background niyang when she was known to be during her time in the Senate, known to be her archival of the former president, would have to be taken at the back seat,” Adiong said, referring to De Lima.
“Kasi the primary consideration is how to primarily form a very solid prosecution team, how they can argue well in terms of how the presentation of the evidence. Number three is how can Congresswoman-elect De Lima help out in the approach of the prosecution team as a group,” he added.
Adiong acknowledged that criticism is inevitable, but maintained that the decision to include De Lima in the prosecution panel is based on qualifications and the law.
“‘Yung mga ganoong klaseng statements and remarks and comments, of course hindi mo ‘yan matatanggal sa isipan ng tao because of the background ng bawat isa,” Adiong said.
“But it doesn’t necessarily also make her exempt from ever becoming one as member of the prosecution team simply because of her politics or her stand when it comes to the issue of EJK or the war on drugs in the previous administration,” he pointed out.
“So ang kanyang pagiging member ng prosecution team is primarily and essentially considered because she is and she would become a part of the House of Representatives in the next Congress,” he reiterated.
The House is expected to finalize the composition of the 11-member prosecution team before the 20th Congress opens in July, when the Senate will convene as an impeachment court.
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