Romer Butuyan 
“NO amount of denial can erase what the Filipino people themselves saw and heard.”
Ito ang mariing tugon ni former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers sa inilabas na pahayag ni impeached Vice President Sara Duterte sa pagtanggi sa kasong grave threats.
“Hindi mabubura ng bagong press statement ang lumang video na napanood na ng buong bayan,” patutsada ni Barbers, na tagapagsalita at trial adviser ng House prosecution.
Ayon sa veteran Mindanaoan lawmaker, hindi patago ang paghahayag ng bise presidente sa pagkuha ng isang assassin at utos na patayin sina Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos at dating House Speaker Martin Romualdez dahil napanood ng lahat ang video ng online press conference nito.
“The Vice President now asks the public to believe that the statements she herself publicly made were not threats. But those statements were not whispered in private. They were made publicly, recorded, authenticated, and presented before the Impeachment Court through competent witnesses under oath.”
“Hindi namin isinulat ang kanyang mga salita. Siya mismo ang nagsabi. Kami lamang ang nagharap ng ebidensya,” dugtong ng dating kongresista.
Ani Barbers, karapatan ng mga tagapagtanggol ni Duterte na maglatag ng argumento sa impeachment trial, na maging ang umuusig ay may kapareho rin pribilehiyo.
“But there is a profound difference between arguing about the legal effect of evidence and claiming that the evidence does not exist,” punto former Surigao del Norte solon.
“Maaaring pagtalunan ang kahulugan ng ebidensya. Pero hindi maaaring itanggi ang ebidensyang nasa rekord na ng Impeachment Court,” diin ng dating mambabatas.
Kinastigo rin ni Barbers ang banat ni Duterte na pineke lang ang ebidensya sa kinakaharap na impeachment charges.
“That is a serious allegation against career investigators, forensic experts, and witnesses who testified under oath. If she believes any recording was fabricated, any testimony was false, or any official finding was invented, then she should identify it specifically and present proof before the Impeachment Court. General accusations are not evidence,” buwelta ng House prosecution adviser.
“Sa huli, hindi ang pinakamalakas na press statement ang mananaig. Ang mananaig ay ang ebidensya, ang Saligang Batas, at ang katotohanan,” sambit pa ni Barbers.
“Maaaring tanggihan ang ebidensya. Ngunit hindi ito mabubura. Maaaring kuwestiyunin ang katotohanan. Ngunit hindi ito mapapalitan.”
