Vice President Sara Duterte remains formidable figure in Philippine politics despite her ongoing Senate impeachment trial.

To that, the House prosecution panel says "We don't care."

In a statement Sunday, July 12, House impeachment adviser and prosecution spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers said they were hyperfocused on the narrative of the evidence against respondent Duterte--not her political "invincibility".

“Honestly, I cannot speculate kung ganoon kasi ang aming focus ay hindi doon sa katunggali," Barbers said.

(Honestly, I cannot speculate on that because our focus is not on the opponent.)

"Ang aming focus ay papaano ipapahayag ang naratibo na sumusuporta doon sa naratibo ng prosecution, ano yung naratibo na nasa likod doon sa pahayag ng aming witness at ano yung naratibo doon sa bigat ng ebidensya na inilatag at pinakita sa taong bayan at sa impeachment court,” he said.

(Our focus is on how to present the narrative that supports the prosecution’s narrative, what the narrative is behind the statements of our witness, and what the narrative is in the weight of the evidence that has been laid out and shown to the public and to the impeachment court.)

Barbers had been asked whether the impeachment trial has affected the public image and political support of Duterte, who in 2028 will vie for the presidency.

“Now honestly, yung support na maaaring binibigay doon sa respondent sa ngayon, ang ating Pangalawang Pangulo, sa aming communications team hindi naman namin iniisip yan.

(Now honestly, whatever support may currently be given to the respondent, our Vice President, our communications team does not think about that.)

"Basta ang aming iniisip kung ano yung tamang iparating sa taong bayan, ano yung dapat malaman ng taong bayan, ano yung kahalagahan ng prosesong ginagawa natin dito sa paglilitis na ito, at ano yung kahalagahan ng mga impormasyon na galing mismo sa witnesses o sa ebidensya na inilatag ng prosecution,” stressed the former House quad-committee (quad-comm) overall chairman.

(What we think about is what should rightly be conveyed to the public, what the public needs to know, the importance of the process we are undertaking here in the trial, and the importance of the information coming directly from the witnesses or the evidence presented by the prosecution.)

The trial has drawn national attention because conviction could remove Duterte from office and bar her from joining the Palace race less than two years from now.

Barbers says that once the evidence is presented and properly explained, the public will be able to form its own conclusions and ultimately be on the same page as the prosecution.

"Ito ang aming paniwala diyan, once makita, mailatag ang ebidensya at ito’y madinig ng ating mamamayan, then ang ating mamamayan magkakaroon ng sariling opinion tungkol dito.

(Our belief is that once the evidence is seen, laid out, and heard by our people, then our people will form their own opinion about it.)

"And once mailatag ng mabuti at maipahayag kung ano yung gustong puntuhin nitong mga ebidensyang ito at itong mga testimonya ng mga witnesses. We are confident na mabubuo sa kanilang isipan na may katotohanan itong ebidensyang ito," said Barbers, who like Duterte hails from Mindanao. 

(And once the evidence and the testimonies of the witnesses are properly presented and expressed for what they intend to show, we are confident that people will form in their minds that this evidence is truthful.)

"Therefore, dahil may katotohanan at bigat itong ebidensyang ito (Therefore, since this evidence is backed by truth and strength), it will now be concluded perhaps favoring the stand of the prosecution,” he underscored.

He said the senator-judges will also have to apply the same standard to what they saw and heard in the high-stakes proceedings.

“In other words, kung ito ang ating mga kababayan ay maniniwala dito sa ating inilatag ng mga ebidensya, I am certain that even the senator-judges would more or less form their own conclusions dito sa usaping ito at maaaring magkaroon ng desisyon base sa nakita nilang katotohanan,” Barbers reckoned.

(In other words, if our fellow citizens believe in the evidence we have presented, I am certain that even the senator-judges would more or less form their own conclusions on this matter and may reach a decision based on the truth they have seen.)