Prosec believes Sara Duterte hired hitman, defense doesn't - Adiong

MANILA, Philippines — Ironically, it is the prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte — and not the defense lawyers — who believes Duterte’s claim that she had talked to a hitman to kill top government officials if she too is killed, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said on Wednesday.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Adiong and members of the House of Representatives’ prosecution panel were asked about the defense’s insistence that there was no assassin contracted by Duterte, in reference to her November 23, 2024 online press briefing.

The press briefing has become a key topic in the impeachment proceedings as the Senate Impeachment Court tackles Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.

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“You know, for us in the prosecution, 100 percent we agree with VP Sara — only the defense panel does not agree with her,” Adiong, spokesperson for the prosecution panel, said in Filipino.

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“That’s why when she said that there was an assassin, we immediately believed it, but the defense does not want to believe it,” he added.

READ: Sara Duterte maintains kill plot vs Marcos not supported by evidence

Adiong and House prosecutor San Juan Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora both agreed that there is no need to show an assassin just to prove that Duterte committed an impeachable offense.

“We do not need an assassin to show up to prove that there are threats on the life of the President, the First Lady and the former Speaker of the House.  The mere fact that the respondent Vice President uttered these words, said these words which was witnessed by a lot of people — maybe almost everyone here — that in itself is a threat,” Zamora pointed out in Filipino.

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“If in a regular criminal proceeding, we need to present this so we can prove it beyond reasonable doubt.  But in the impeachment trial, what we are testing is the conduct, their words, their actions, mindset, and their restraint — that despite political pressure you have restraint,” Adiong said.

Counsel for the prosecution, lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr., meanwhile said that he believes there is an assassin because the admission was made by Duterte herself.

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“Is there an assassin or not?  The answer is clear: there is one.  What is our basis?  Like what Atty. (Jeremy) Lotoc said, all of us heard the Vice President admit this; the explanation of Atty. Lotoc is that this is what you call admission against interest,” said Tolosa.

“That’s why under the rules of evidence, these are treated as proof of truth of those statements.  So, is there an assassin?  Yes.  What is our evidence to prove that?  It’s the admission against interest of the Vice President herself,” he added.

According to Tolosa, Duterte had the opportunity to clarify her statements in the November 23, 2024 online press briefing, but she doubled down on her claims that she asked a person to kill President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

“Let us remember, she had an opportunity to clarify her statement, three days after, to retract her statements or say that it was due to a surge of emotions, but three days after — she is calmer so she cannot say it’s just a spur of the moment thing — what did she do?  She didn’t retract that,” he said.

“Kinonfirm niya, she doubled down and tried to justify what she did by saying revenge from the grave is not a criminal act.  So meron bang assassin, ay napakaliwag ho, meron,” he added.

“She confirmed it, she doubled down and tried to justify what she did by saying revenge from the grave is not a criminal act.  So is there an assassin?  It’s clear, there is one,” he also said.

The question of whether or not Duterte contracted a hitman, or if there was even an assassin in the first place, has been discussed for several days since the impeachment trial started on July 6.

At one point last Monday, Senator-judge Bam Aquino asked Duterte’s lawyers if the vice president merely lied during the online press briefing if the defense denies that she talked to a hitman.

Aquino raised this question to defense lawyer Mark Vinluan, asking if their official stand is that Duterte denies contracting a hitman to kill the Marcos couple and Romualdez.  When Vinluan answered in the affirmative, Aquino asked whether Duterte’s statements in the November 23, 2024 briefing were all lies.

READ: Bam Aquino: If lawyers say there’s no hitman, was Sara Duterte lying?

On Tuesday, House prosecutor and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said that Aquino’s line of questioning now leaves Duterte with two options — either to be a lying vice president or an official who makes threats.READ: Lying VP or threatening VP? Pick one, Ridon tells Duterte, supporters

“There are two things that the vice president has to choose from in talking about this matter: first, if he did not solicit the services of a killer, this means you have a Vice President that lies.  But if it is true that she contracted a killer, then you have a Vice President that contracts a killer,” Ridon said on Tuesday.

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“She can only pick from these two things.  And on both counts I think it will not be acceptable to the people if you have a Vice President that lies before the people, or a Vice President who contracts a killer,” he added. /gsg