Romer Butuyan 
NANAWAGAN ang citizen’s monitoring network na Bantay Senado sa impeachment court na bawiin ang naunang deklarasyon at sa halip ay payagan ang live media coverage sa itinakdang June 18 pre-trial conference.
Para sa Bantay Senado, hindi simpleng “administrative o ministerial matter” ang pre-trial conference kung saan inaasahang itatakda ang ground rules sa paglilitis, pormal na pagmamarka ng mga ebidensya at pagsusumite ng talaan ng mga testigo mula sa magkabilang panig.
“Bantay Senado believes that they are consequential decisions that will shape the entire character of the proceedings. The Filipino public has a right to see how those decisions are made,” anila.
“The impeachment trial of a sitting Vice President is not a private legal dispute between two parties. It is a constitutional process conducted in the name of the Filipino people. Every stage of that process — including the pre-trial — must be conducted transparently. The public is not an optional participant to the proceedings,” wika ni Prof. Cleve V. Arguelles na tumatayong convenor at spokesperson ng Bantay Senado.
Paglilinaw ng Bantay Senado, wala silang anumang pananaw sa merito ng kaso laban sa bise presidente, at hindi rin sila kumakatig alinman sa prosekusyon o depensa, bagkus ay hangad lang tiyakin bukas sa lahat ang impeachment proceedings, kasama na ang pagsasagawa ng pre-trial conference.
“Impeachment trials and the information they present are matters of public concern. The public has the right to such information as matters of public concern, access to which is made more imperative by the state policy of full public disclosure. Closing it to the public and media without compelling constitutional justification may raise serious questions about the court’s commitment to due process and open justice. Transparency at the pre-trial stage is not incompatible with fair proceedings,” pahayag naman ni UP College of Law Assistant Prof. Michael Tiu Jr. na tumatayong contributing legal expert ng grupo.
Samantala, sa hiwalay na pahayag, binigyan-diin Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro na ang House prosecution panel ay kumakatawan na sa sambayanang Pilipino.
“Please understand that the House of Representatives in this impeachment trial is representing the sovereign Filipino people. Impeachment is a mechanism that was given to the Filipino people to go against the erring public official,” giit ng lead prosecutor.
“In other words, the interest which is being represented by us in this trial is not our personal interest but the interest of the Filipino people. Suffice it to say that we need to share with the people whom we represent what is going on as far as the preparation for the trial is concerned,” saad pa niya.
“The people are our client here and they need to know the things that the public prosecutors are doing in relation to this trial.”
