Vice President Sara Duterte's Senate impeachment trial will push through, no matter how hard you try to destroy the House prosecution panel's credibility.

This is House prosecutor Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon's stern message to the panel's detractors over the weekend as the Vice President’s pre-trial and actual trial dates are fast approaching.

“Impeachment trial is coming,” Ridon told a news forum in Quezon City.

"Hindi ho makakapigil ‘yun pong ganitong slander laban sa House prosecution panel sa pagtutuloy sa paglalantad ng katotohanan sa Senate impeachment court proceedings,” reckoned the lawyer-solon.

(Such slander against the House prosecution panel will not stop the continued unveiling of truth in the Senate impeachment court proceedings.)

The Senate had earlier scheduled a pre-trial on June 15. The first day of actual trial has been set on July 6.

Last June 4, the 18 Marine-bagmen reemerged in Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing and accused Ridon and many other public prosecutors and pro-impeachment congressmen of receiving luggages ("maletas") containing payoffs from anomalous flood control projects.

Memners of the prosecution team have questioned the timing of these allegations.

“‘Yun po ‘yung malinaw sa bahagi po ng House prosecution panel. Talaga po ‘yung pagpupulong noong nakaraan ay targeted to discredit the House prosecution panel para paglunsad po ng trial, meron pong credibility questions hanging over the prosecution,” Ridon said.

(That is clear on the part of the House prosecution panel. The previous meeting was indeed targeted to discredit the panel so that when the trial launches, there are credibility questions hanging over the prosecution.)

The chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts said the allegations against members of the prosecution team were baseless and appeared intended to weaken public confidence in the impeachment case against Duterte.

He also vowed that prosecutors would present all available evidence against the Vice President once trial begins.

“Kahit ano pong ibato ng 18 marines at ng kung sino man ho na sumusuporta sa pangalawang pangulo, tuloy po impeachment trial. We will not be deterred,” Ridon said.

(Whatever the 18 Marines or anyone supporting the Vice President may throw, the impeachment trial will proceed. We will not be deterred.)

“The evidence will be presented on the bank accounts, on the [Anti-Money Laundering Council] transactions, on each and every piece of evidence needed to convict the Vice President,” he said.

Vice President Duterte's conviction via 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.

Ridon has denied claims linking him to the alleged cash deliveries, noting that his name did not even appear in the affidavit initially circulated by the ex-soldiers.

“Halimbawa na lang po sa akin, noong [February] po lumabas ‘yung affidavit, pero ni minsan hindi po ako nabanggit sa listahan po na ‘yun. Ire-reiterate ko today, I was never mentioned in that affidavit at parang hinabol na lang ‘yung pong pangalan ko during that meeting with the 18 marines,” Ridon said.

(For example, in my case, the affidavit came out in February, but not once was I mentioned in that list. I reiterate today, I was never mentioned in that affidavit, and it seems my name was only dragged in during that meeting with the 18 Marines.)

“Kahit kailan, kahit saang panahon, kahit saan mang lugar, wala po akong natanggap na maleta (At no time, in any period, or in any place have I ever received a suitcase)," the veteran lawmaker and Duterte critic said.

Ridon said the accusations would not distract the prosecution panel from carrying out its constitutional duty to pursue the impeachment case.