Iloilo 3rd district Rep. Lorenz Defensor believes that Vice President Sara Duterte’s early declaration of her 2028 presidential bid ultimately “backfired” on her during the conduct of her impeachment proceedings by the House Committee on Justice.

Defensor admitted in an ANC Headstart interview Wednesday, May 6 that the Vice President's early announcement initially posed a major political challenge to the congressman-members of the justice panel because of her popularity and strong survey numbers.

This meant that the solons had political issues, particularly the sentiments of their respective constituents, to consider.

“When the Vice President declared that she’s running for president in 2028, that was a big challenge for the Committee on Justice. Kasi she’s popular, marami siyang supporters, at siya ang number one sa survey until that time (It’s because she's popular, she has a lot of supporters, and she was number one in the surveys until that time),” said the senior deputy majority leader.

However, Defensor said the Vice President and her legal team erred when they repeatedly skipped the panel hearings and failed to directly confront the allegations of impeachment offenses hurled against her.

“That strategy of hers declaring early backfired. Kasi imbes na i-sustain niya ang position niya na dapat hindi siya ma-impeach, eh hindi sila nagpakita sa committee hearings. Hindi nila sinagot ‘yung mga alegasyon,” said the prospective impeachment prosecutor.

(Because instead of sustaining their position that they should not be impeached, they did not appear at the committee hearings. They did not answer the allegations.)

According to Defensor, Duterte’s absence from the proceedings--including the four hearings on probable cause held on March 25; April 14, 22, and 29--changed the dynamics of the political exercise.

Vice President Duterte's impeachment is being sought over her offices' alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds; untruthful declarations in the filing of her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth; unexplained wealth; and death threats to President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez.

“It’s weighed many members of Congress na hindi niya sinagot ‘yun. Ibig sabihin, nabawasan ang pressure sa mga congressmen at sa Committee on Justice,” he said.

(The non-answer of those issues was weighed by many members of Congress. This means that the pressure on the congressmen and the Committee on Justice was lessened.)

In the end, the committee chaired by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro decided to move the impeachment case forward, and unto the plenary.

It was last Feb. 18 when Duterte announced her plans to run for president in the 2028 national elections. Five days later, the House of Representatives initiated this year's impeachment proceedings against her.

Last April 29, the Luistro panel voted 55-0 (yes-no) to declare the existence of probable cause on the two impeachment raps against the second highest official of the land.

Defensor believes some solons might have considered voting against impeachment or abstaining had Duterte personally addressed the allegations involving confidential funds and bank transactions during the hearings.

“Kung pumunta sana sila sa hearings ng Committee on Justice at doon pinaliwanag, sigurado ako mas nag-isip siguro ang ibang congressmen to maybe vote no or maybe abstain,” said the lawyer-legislator.

(If they had gone to the Committee on Justice hearings and explained there, I’m sure some congressmen might have thought twice and maybe voted no or abstained,” said the lawyer-legislator. )

“But since it’s unanimous, ibig sabihin malinaw na walang sagot sa ebidensyang nilabas sa Committee on Justice," he pointed out.

(But since it was unanimous, that means it’s clear there was no answer to the evidence presented before the Committee on Justice.)

The National Unity Party (NUP) stalwart noted that critics had previously accused the House of failing to observe due process when an impeachment complaint against Duterte was transmitted to the Senate last year.

“So that’s a challenge because previously sinabihan na kami na nung pina-transmit namin sa Senado, hindi daw nag-observe ng due process,” Defensor said.

(So that’s a challenge because previously we were told that when we transmitted it to the Senate, due process was not observed

“Ngayon binubusisi namin ang ebidensya para makita kung talaga bang matitimbang natin ang husga kung may sufficient evidence and probable cause. Napapanood ng mga tao araw-araw ang impeachment hearings, evidence [is] open to the public para hindi na masabing we skipped due process,” he added.

(Now we are scrutinizing the evidence to see if we can truly weigh the judgment on whether there is sufficient evidence and probable cause. People watch the impeachment hearings every day, the evidence is open to the public so it can no longer be said that we skipped due process.)