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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider De Lima, Diokno as impeachment prosecutor-substitutes? Yes, says House leader

De Lima, Diokno as impeachment prosecutor-substitutes? Yes, says House leader

Published May 14, 2025 05:12 pm

At A Glance

  • A ranking congressman has welcomed the possibility of former senator Leila de Lima and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno joining the House prosecution panel in the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Incoming House members Leila de Lima (left), Chel Diokno (Facebook)
Incoming House members Leila de Lima (left), Chel Diokno (Facebook)
 




A ranking congressman has welcomed the possibility of former senator Leila de Lima and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno joining the House prosecution panel in the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales 1st district Rep. Jay Khonghun had this to say Wednesday, May 14 amid the high likelihood that the 11-person prosecution team composed of 19th Congress solons would no longer be intact come July.

“With some prosecutors unable to continue in the 20th Congress, we welcome the possibility of including new members like former Sen. De Lima and Atty. Diokno in the prosecution panel,” Khonghun said.

He didn't name the solon-prosecutors who didn't make it out of the mid-term elections last Monday, May 12.

De Lima and Diokno are poised to attain seats in the House of Representatives as representatives of ML Party-list and Akbayan Party-list, respectively, in the upcoming 20th Congress. 

“They are both lawyers, both consistent defenders of human rights, and both long-time critics of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs—exactly the kind of voices we need to restore accountability,” Khonghun said of the two presumptive House members.

Vice President Duterte, who was impeached by the House last February, is the eldest daughter of ex-president Duterte.  

Khonghun said there are no two individuals who are more worthy of being in the prosecution panel against the younger Duterte. 

" De Lima endured years of unjust detention. Diokno has defended countless victims of abuse. Their presence would send a clear message: the House is serious about this impeachment,” he explained.

Vice President Duterte is facing trial before the Senate acting as an impeachment court on charges of misuse of confidential funds, falsification of documents, and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Khonghun, a key member of the House “Young Guns” bloc, maintained that the trial must push through with full transparency and determination.

“This is bigger than politics. This is about restoring the people’s faith in public institutions. And if leaders like incoming Reps. De Lima and Diokno are willing to help prosecute the case, the House should welcome them with open arms,” he said.

The impeachment trial is expected to begin after President Marcos delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.
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