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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'We see a pattern': Acidre says House prosecution team already under attack

'We see a pattern': Acidre says House prosecution team already under attack

Published May 28, 2026 04:04 am

At A Glance

  • Rep. Jude Acidre has warned of a smear campaign against the House prosecution team in Vice President Sara Duterte's Senate impeachment trial, meant to erode public confidence.
  • He said online attacks appear coordinated to weaken the case before the July 6 start, but stressed prosecutors are prepared after reviewing evidence in the House.
  • Duterte faces charges of misuse of confidential funds, false asset declarations, unexplained wealth, and threats against top officials.
Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)


Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre claims that he is already seeing a smear campaign against the 11-member House prosecution team in Vice President Sara Duterte's upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
While he couldn't say who is behind such campaign, Acidre theorized that the purpose for such was to drag down public confidence in the impeachment process and distract from the evidence that will be presented against the respondent, Duterte.
“Well, to be honest, if you look at the different statements being made, even in social media, especially with all these baseless accusations made online, criticisms, we can see a pattern. We can see a pattern of efforts to undermine the House prosecutors,” Acidre said in an online interview.
“I can only speak for myself. I cannot speak for the institution,” clarified the Leyte-based congressman.
According to Acidre, the pattern of attacks against the prosecutors that he is seeing appears designed to weaken Duterte's case before trial formally begins.
The actual trial is still a ways off, with the senator-judges eyeing July 6 as the start.
The impeachment proceedings have unfolded alongside political intramurals at the Senate, including disputes over remote participation, walkouts by the minority and revived allegations of a Charter change (Cha-cha) plot that minority senators later denounced as fake news or a propaganda tool.  
“I cannot speak for the members of the prosecution. But I can tell as a third party observer that there seems to be a coordinated effort to undermine their integrity in an effort definitely to derail the process or probably to even drag down the growing confidence and interest of the people in the impeachment process,” Acidre insisted.
The House prosecution panel is composed of Reps. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro (Batangas 2nd district), Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list), Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list), Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan City lone district), Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo 3rd district), Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno (Akbayan Party-list), Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Party-list), Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands lone district), Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon 2nd district), Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro 1st district), and Joel Chua (Manila 3rd district).
Vice President Duterte's conviction through impeachment trial 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.
Despite the attacks, Acidre says the House prosecutors are prepared to pursue the articles of impeachment against Duterte in the Senate.
“I can say with full confidence that our House prosecutors are in the best position to defend, to pursue the case, to protect, to defend the position of the House, the articles of impeachment. And I think they’re very prepared to do their role,” he said.
“And I don’t see any reason for them to be distracted, knowing that we are convinced that we are definitely on the right side of history,” Acidre added.
He said many prosecutors were not coming into the trial cold because they had already gone through the proceedings of the Committee on Justice, where the allegations and supporting documents against the respondent were examined.

Related Tags

Senate Impeachment impeachment trial Sara Duterte Jude Acidre Prosecution panel Smear campaign
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