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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Zubiri's 'witch hunt' comment an insult to the House, says De Lima

Zubiri's 'witch hunt' comment an insult to the House, says De Lima

Published Jul 8, 2025 06:07 pm

At A Glance

  • An insult to the House of Representatives. That's how Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima described Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri's comment that the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte was nothing more than a "witch hunt".
Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima (left), Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri (Facebook)
Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima (left), Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri (Facebook)


An insult to the House of Representatives.
That's how Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima described Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri's comment that the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte was nothing more than a "witch hunt".
“It’s really unfortunate. It’s an insult to the House as the initiator of the impeachment process," De Lima said in a chance interview Tuesday, July 8, when asked to react about Zubiri's remarks.
"Also, an insult to the various groups that filed those first three impeachment complaints bago in-adopt direcho ng more than one-third ng mga miyembro ng House (before it was adopted straight by more than one-third of the House members)," added the former senator.
"Hindi po witch hunt ang impeachment (The impeachment isn't a witch hunt)," underscored the House impeachment prosecutor.
De Lima pointed out that although the original complaints were not referred to the House Committee on Justice, they were grounded in facts and serious allegations.
The ML solon defended the legitimacy of the House vote that resulted in the transmittal of the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
“As far as the House is concerned, may batayan. Kaya nga na-impeach. ‘Di sana hindi ‘yan finile. Hindi sana pinirmahan ng more than one-third ng members of the House ‘yung complaint. Hindi sana nila vinerify as required by the rules at hindi sana nila trinansmit ang articles of impeachment kung walang batayan,” she noted.
(As far as the House is concerned, there was basis. That’s why she was impeached. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been filed. More than one-third of House members wouldn’t have signed the complaint. They wouldn’t have neither verified it as required by the rules, nor would they have transmitted the articles of impeachment if there had been no basis.)
It's the senator-judges' task to try Vice President Duterte based on the impeachment articles. 
According to De Lima, a real witch hunt implies harassment or persecution without basis. She says this does not apply to Vice President Duterte impeachment case.
“Ang ibig sabihin ng witch hunt, walang batayan. Para lang mang-harass, para lang i-persecute ka (A witch hunt means there’s no basis. It's just to harass and persecute you). Which is far from the very character of this impeachment trial. So sana they avoid comments na ganyan (like that), which exhibit their personal biases,” she said.
"Nakasaad sa Constitution, may batayan ang mga charges kaya nga na-impeach siya sa House level. In other words, formally charged. Hindi naman ipo-forward ang articles of impeachment kung walang batayan,” De Lima explained.
(The Constitution states that the charges must have basis, which is why the impeachment happened at the House level. In other words, she was formally charged. The articles of impeachment wouldn’t have been forwarded had there been no basis.)
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