The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) on Friday slammed the Senate impeachment court’s decision to summon Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte as a prosecution witness in the impeachment case against his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a statement, PDP-Laban national spokesman Ferdinand Topacio said the subpoena showed that the prosecution was “so totally lacking in competent evidence” against the Vice President and was resorting to a “legal circus.”
Topacio said the prosecution was seeking to have Baste Duterte testify as a hostile witness because it was supposedly struggling to generate public interest in its presentation of evidence.
“The reasons are unclear. The legal effect is dubious. The legal strategy is cockamamie,” Topacio said.
He particularly criticized Rep. Leila de Lima, saying the prosecution “badly needs the star power of Mayor Baste” to boost public interest in the impeachment proceedings and give “some semblance of substance” to its case.
“It is obvious that the prosecution is clutching at straws,” Topacio said.
He also accused the prosecution of involving members of the Vice President’s family in a “grotesque version of the scorched earth tactic.”
“But the people will not be fooled,” Topacio said.
He warned that those responsible for a “perversion of legal proceedings” before the Senate would eventually face the anger of voters.
The statement came after the impeachment court summoned Baste Duterte to testify on Sept. 23 on Article 2 of the impeachment complaint, which concerns the Vice President’s alleged unexplained wealth.
Presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero issued the subpoena on Wednesday.
Baste is expected to be questioned about transactions between the Davao City government and Gencorp Industries, a company listed among Vice President Duterte’s declared business interests.
Topacio later confirmed that the subpoena had been received by Baste Duterte’s office at 1:36 p.m.#