Photo credit: House of Representatives of the Philippines

House prosecutors on Monday said Vice President Sara Duterte has the option to appear before the Senate impeachment court through her legal counsel, but stressed that many Filipinos are expecting her to personally face the proceedings and respond to the allegations against her.

During a press conference at the Senate, House legal spokesperson Atty. Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said the prosecution respects the impeachment court's order, which allows Duterte to either appear in person or be represented by her lawyers.

“We will still respect the rules of impeachment and the order issued by the impeachment court wherein the Vice President was given an option to appear either in person or through counsel,” Tolosa said.

“At the end of the day, that’s a decision for them to make,” he added.

While acknowledging Duterte's legal right to be represented by counsel, Tolosa said many Filipinos believe the Vice President should personally face the impeachment process.

“We understand that sentiment. That sentiment is the sentiment of the entire country or most of our countrymen,” Tolosa said.

“Everyone’s demanding that the Vice President will face this in person,” he added.

House trial spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong said Duterte's appearance in court would send a strong message that she is taking the allegations seriously and is prepared to answer them before the proper constitutional body.

“It will only show that she’s really seriously taking these allegations, now facing these allegations with a clear position that she is not guilty of any of these accusations,” Alonto Adiong said.

“The clearest message that she can send is to appear before the court,” he added.

Adiong also noted that a personal appearance would be consistent with Duterte's earlier statements that she was willing to address the accusations in the proper forum.

“That would also reinforce her previous statements that she will answer in the proper forum, that she’s actually welcoming the allegation at the proper forum, and this is now the proper forum,” Adiong said.

Kabataan Party-list Representative Renee Louise Co echoed the same sentiment, saying the public has waited a long time for both the impeachment proceedings and Duterte's explanation regarding the Articles of Impeachment.

“Matagal na ang hinihintay ng mamamayan ang proseso na ito,” Co said.

“Matagal na rin hinihintay ng mamamayan ang sagot ni VP Sara sa mga tanong tungkol sa Articles of Impeachment,” she added.

Co said Duterte's absence would likely disappoint Filipinos who have been expecting her to personally answer the accusations.

“That would be unfortunate and a disappointment to the Filipino people who are expecting her today, her answers today, and for the process to continue with finality until the end,” Co said.

She added that if Duterte chooses not to appear, many people may question her earlier declarations that she was ready to face the impeachment case.

“Kung hindi po magpakita, ang hahanapin, nasaan na po ang readiness na sinabi po noon before at gustong makita at maiharap sa mamamayan para po sa proseso ng pananagutan,” Co said.

Still, Co acknowledged that Duterte and her legal team have the right to determine their own legal strategy.

“She can have her strategy, her legal team can have that strategy, but at the end of the day this impeachment process is both a legal and political process that we want the people to participate in,” Co said.

For his part, Adiong said the prosecution's work will continue regardless of whether Duterte personally attends the proceedings.

“This is a decision that ultimately falls on her and it’s a decision that she will have to explain to the Filipino people as well,” Alonto Adiong said.

“But for the prosecution, insofar as we are concerned, our singular focus here will not change.”

He said prosecutors remain focused on presenting evidence to support the Articles of Impeachment.

“We will make sure that we’ll be able to establish solid evidence to back our allegations against her regardless if she will be there or not,” Adiong said.

Meanwhile, Tolosa said Duterte's possible absence would be consistent with what he described as her previous decisions to skip earlier stages of the impeachment process.

“On this case, the Vice President is consistent from the very start. Not attending or skipping the process,” Tolosa said.

“Yung hindi po niya pagpunta, that’s a personal decision but the people will have a different observation altogether,” he added.