Romer Butuyan 
BILANG bahagi ng inilatag na alituntunin ng House Committee on Justice, hindi pinahihintulutan ang pagsabat ng mga abogado sa isasagawang “mini-trial” ng impeachment complaint na inihain laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte.
Bukod sa mga abogado, kabilang rin sa mga hindi pwedeng “umepal” ang mga kongresistang hindi miyembro ng komite, ayon kay House Justice Committee chairperson at Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro.
Ipinabatid din ni Luistro na pormal nang napadalhan ng imbitasyon ang pangalawang pangulo para dumalo sa nakatakdang hearing proper sa Marso 25 ng kasalukuyang taon.
“In this regard, we respectfully invite you to personally attend the said meeting in your capacity as the respondent in the impeachment complaints filed by Reverend Father Joel Saballa, et. al. and Atty. Nathaniel G. Cabrera,” saad sa isang bahagi ng paanyaya kay Duterte.
“The Committee on Justice will conduct its regular meeting on 25 March 2026 (Wednesday), at 10:00 a.m., at the 2nd Floor, Peoples’ Center Building, House of Representatives, Quezon City.”
Ayon kay Luistro, maaaring makipag-ugnayan ang akusado sa committee secretariat para kumpirmahin ang pagdalo o anumang nais ipabatid sa pamamagitan ng official contact channels.
Paglilinaw ni Luistro, ang hearing proper sa dalawang impeachment complaints laban sa pangalawang pangulo ay maihahalintulad sa isang preliminary investigation.
“Again let us remember that this is just a stage of preliminary investigation na kahit sa ordinaryong proseso ng criminal case we do not encourage the participation of the lawyers except to the extent of advising, assisting their clients who are the parties of this case, it could be the complainant it could be the witness it could be the respondent,” paliwanag ng lady solon.
“But the participation in the deliberation itself, they are not allowed yet, because this is just the stage of preliminary investigation. So parang ma-picture natin — the lawyers will be sitting near their clients, the complainant, the witnesses and the respondent and will just be giving constant advice,” dagdag ni Luistro.
Sa ilalim ng impeachment rules, partikular na tinutukoy kung sino ang dapat na magtatanong o bubusisi sa mga testigo sa gagawing pagdinig.
“In fact, even in the rules in impeachment which was adopted by the 20th Congress, very clear ang sinabi dun — only the justice members can conduct direct examination and cross examination so the only interpretation we get from that is no one can participate except the justice members,” dugtong ni Luistro.
Ibinigay na halimbawa ng House panel head si SAGIP Partylist Rep. Paolo Henry Marcoleta na kilalang kaalyado ni Duterte-Carpio, na bagamat hindi miyembro ng komite ay pinahihintulutan dumalo subalit hindi maaaring gisahin ang mga testigo.
“Let’s take the case of Congressman Marcoleta, he’s not a member. He cannot examine or cross-examine the witnesses, but he can manifest. Hanggang manifestation lang,” sambit pa ni Luistro.
