House prosecution panel spokesperson Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep Zia Alonto Adiong chewed up the defense team of respondent Vice President Sara Duterte for adopting its list of witnesses for the lady official's upcoming Senate impeachment trial.

Adiong had this to say Friday, June 19--a day the first pre-trial conference at the Senate, where both the prosecution and defense began dealt with proposed stipulations and documentary evidence ahead of the July 6 trial proper.

The closed-door proceedings intended to organize the trial by identifying facts, witnesses, evidence, and issues before the presentation of the case. In short, the two sides laid out their cards on the table.

Suffice it to say that Adiong expected more from the defense.

“Eh kung mahina ‘yung aming ebidensya e bakit sila mismo ina-adopt nila ‘yung ating mga witnesses no (If our evidence were weak, then why are they themselves adopting our witnesses?)" he asked.

The defense's pre-trial brief reportedly listed over 100 witnesses, while the prosecution had 57.

Adiong said the defense had yet to present a direct answer to the evidence the 11-member prosecution team intends to offer during the impeachment trial.

He said the public expected the defense to submit specific counterarguments and evidence that would directly refute the prosecution’s allegations, based on the articles of impeachment.

“The whole country is expecting na mag-submit sila ng kanilang (that they will submit their) specific, substantial counterargument and contravening evidence and also to answer provide answers at tsaka pabulaanan yung mga ebidensya yung pag presenta ng House prosecution team (and to deny the evidence presented by the House prosecution team),” he added.

The solon-prosecutors have repeatedly argued that the defense has focused largely on procedural objections, a point already reflected in public reports on the submission of pre-trial briefs.

Adiong said the defense appeared to be returning to its earlier sttategy of assailing the entire impeachment process instead of directly answering the evidence.

“So...makikita natin ang pre-trial brief nila ay basically, going back to their old narrative na questioning the entire process, wala ho silang i-offer,” explained the Mindanaoan.

(So we can see in their pre-trial brief that it basically goes back to their old narrative of questioning the entire process, and they have nothing to offer.)

He said a claim of weak evidence should be met by direct refutation, not merely procedural attacks on the proceedings.

“So if they think that what we will produce to the court is mahina (weak), the more reason for them to counter this with specific and substantial counter-contravening evidence,” he pointed out.

“Pero sa nakita natin, wala. Puro sila technical issues nila (From what we saw, there's nothing. They're fully focused on their technical issues),” Adiong noted.