ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider What law bending in impeachment trial? Barbers turns the tables on VP Duterte

What law bending in impeachment trial? Barbers turns the tables on VP Duterte

Published Aug 9, 2026 02:50 pm

At A Glance

  • Barbers denies Vice President Sara Duterte's claim of "law bending" in her Senate impeachment trial, stressing that the prosecution panel follows due process.
  • He highlights evidence presented, including an authentic video on grave threats and liquidation documents from the OVP showing questionable handling of P612.5 million in confidential funds.
  • He points to COA findings of fictitious names and improper receipts, challenging the defense to explain the irregularities instead of accusing the prosecution of bending the law.
Robert Ace Barbers (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (MANILA BULLETIN, PPAB)
Robert Ace Barbers (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (MANILA BULLETIN, PPAB)


House impeachment adviser Robert Ace Barbers clapped back at Vice President Sara Duterte after the latter claimed that her ongoing Senate impeachment trial was full of “law bending”.
"The accusation of law bending is perhaps best addressed to the defense," Barbers, prosecution panel spokesperson, said over the weekend.
“On behalf of the prosecution team, we vehemently deny that we are engaged in so-called ‘law bending’ in the conduct of the impeachment trial. If we are not engaged in such, then perhaps the impeachment court can clarify if it is engaged in such law bending," Barbers said.
"Maybe it is the court that the VP is referring to," he noted.
The 26-member prosecution team has been presenting its evidence before the senator-judges in connection with the four articles of impeachment against the lady official.
"All these pieces of evidence were not fabricated by the prosecution," Barbers, a former three-term Surigao del Norte congressman and governor, said.
He went on highlight the proof that had been laid down so far in court.
"The subject video pertaining to the charge of grave threats is authentic and used by both the prosecution and defense as accepted as evidence. Who utterred the threats and now deny them or justify them? Is the justification among those recognized in the Revised Penal Code under justifying circumstances?" he asked.
Barbers added that the documents submitted by the Office of the President (OVP) to Commission on Audit (COA) in its liquidation of confidential and intelligence funds amounting to P612.5 million were also the ones being shown by the prosecution. "Nothing is fabricated," he stressed.
“If there is law bending, perhaps the defense must explain why despite the employment of several lawyers in the OVP and the DepEd (Department of Education), no proper liquidation was undertaken to prove that the confidential funds were spent in the manner allowed by law," he said in an obvious jab.
Barbers also noted that acknowledgment receipts (ARs) dated one year from disbursements were submitted instead of official receipts.
"What is glaring is the fact that these ARs bear fictitious names with signatures at that. COA has flagged all these highly improper liquidation and continued refusal by the OVP to comply with the requirements of the law."
Barbers said in his parting shot: "If the VP can specify and point out particular instances of law bending, then the prosecution may even side with her on this."

Related Tags

Robert Ace Barbers Impeachment Sara Duterte Law bending
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ static_articles_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.