FILE

House prosecution officials on Monday said the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte should be easy for ordinary Filipinos to understand, stressing that the proceedings are ultimately about public accountability—not legal technicalities or political victories.

Impeachment adviser and House prosecution spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers said the public should be able to follow the trial regardless of their legal background, prompting the prosecution panel to support the use of both English and Filipino during the proceedings.

“We agreed really that when we speak, especially when we know that a lot of Filipinos are watching, dapat pwedeng Tagalog-in, except for some technical terms,” Barbers said in an interview with Atty. Karen Jimeno on Bilyonaryo.

Barbers said making the proceedings understandable is important because the impeachment trial involves one of the country's highest-ranking officials and raises issues that affect every Filipino.

“Well, napaka-importante nito, because there will be a lot of Filipinos watching. And because of this, dapat maintindihan nila yung masalimuot na proseso ng impeachment,” Barbers said.

He added that impeachment should not be treated as a discussion reserved for lawyers and politicians.

“And it’s not very easy to educate people about the process. Kaya nga kung makakasalita tayo sa ating wika na Tagalog, it will now become more relatable and understandable to ordinary mamamayang Pilipino,” he said.

“Yun ang objective. Of course, hindi lang dapat ito limitado sa mga abogado.”

Barbers said even farmers, fisherfolk and other ordinary citizens deserve to understand the evidence and legal process because the outcome of the trial has implications for the country's democratic institutions.

“Siguro dapat ‘yung ordinaryong mamamayan, kahit po ‘yung ating mga fisher folks and ordinary farmers, dapat nakakaintindi rin dahil napakahalaga nitong usapin tungkol sa impeachment because it affects the lives of every Filipino,” he said.

Opening the prosecution's case before the Senate impeachment court, House lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro echoed the same message, saying the trial is fundamentally about the people's right to hold public officials accountable.

She said the proceedings involve public funds, public trust and the constitutional principle that government officials remain answerable to the people who elected them.

"...Ang usapin ngayon ay patungkol sa isang bagay na pag-aari nilang lahat. Ang kanilang pera, ang kanilang tiwala, ang kanilang karapatan na maningil ng pananagutan mula sa mga pinuno na kanilang pinagkatiwalaan.”

Luistro said accountability should apply equally to every public servant, regardless of position.

“If a barangay treasurer must account for public funds, then so must the vice president,” Luistro said.

She rejected claims that impeachment is a political weapon, saying its purpose is to protect democratic institutions.

“Not to punish political opponents, not to settle political scores, but to protect the Republic itself,” Luistro said.

She also framed the proceedings as a test of whether public officials remain accountable after assuming office.

“When the people entrust power to a public official, does the public official remain accountable to the people or do the people become accountable to the public official?” Luistro said.

She answered with a reminder of the Constitution's principle of popular sovereignty.

“Power belongs to the people,” Luistro said.

Meanwhile, Barbers said the first day of the impeachment proceedings should not be viewed as a victory or defeat for either side, but as the formal beginning of the constitutional process after weeks of speculation that the trial might not even take place.

“The notion that nanalo o natalo ang prosecution, mali po yan,” Barbers said. “Dahil ang nangyari ngayong araw na ito, nakita naman natin na nag-umpisa ang trial,” he added.

He also clarified that the Senate impeachment court's decision to return a sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue evidence box does not diminish its value as evidence, saying the prosecution can formally offer the records later in the proceedings.

“Yes, totoo binalik ang BIR box, but this does not mean nawala na ang evidentiary value ng ebidensyang ito,” Barbers said.

“At the proper time, ibabalik po ito, i-o-offer po ulit ito ng ating prosecution, and hopefully the court will admit this as an evidence.”

Barbers said the prosecution remains confident it will be able to present additional evidence as the impeachment trial continues in the coming days.