Romer Butuyan 
IGINIIT ni House Assistant Majority Leader at Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong na dapat matuloy na bilang isang regular na proseso ang Senate impeachment trial dahil sa kawalan ng tugon ng Korte Suprema sa petisyong inihain ng kampo ni Vice President Sara Duterte.
Paglilinaw ni Adiong na tumatayong tagapagsalita ng House prosecution panel sa impeachment trial laban kay VP Sara, hindi niya hangad pangunahan ang anumang kapasyahan ng Korte Suprema.
“I’m not going to preempt what would be the decision of the Supreme Court, but the ball has already rolled in the course of the events, starting from the filing of the impeachment up to the time that now the Senate has already taken custody of these articles of impeachment,” paliwanag ni Adiong.
“The Senate had already received the Articles of Impeachment, convened as an impeachment court and adopted a timeline for the next steps in the trial. Unless, of course, there’s a massive or, you know, a very kumbaga changes that might happen,” dugtong niya sa Bilyonaryo News Channel interview.
“We don’t know, but base sa dates and the timeline that they have set, I’m pretty sure that both camps would abide by the summons, by the writ of summons,” sabi pa ni Adiong.
Giit ng Mindanaoan solon, dapat nang tuldukan ang anumang pagtatangka kuwestyunin ang proseso kasunod ng pagtanggap ng Senado sa Articles of Impeachment laban sa bise presidente.
“Well, it’s already an academic at this point in time. It’s already water under the bridge,” dugtong ni Adiong.
“They (Senate) have already accepted the transmittal of the articles of impeachment. They (senator judges) have already worn their robes,” bulalas pa niya.
Sinabi ni Adiong meron pa ring iba na posibleng magtangka lalo’t karapatan ng bawat Pilipino gamitin ang lahat ng legal na paraan sa pag-aasam na mapaboran ng korte.
“Well, it could be. It’s within the realm of possibility. But then again, the whole country is also watching. Remember, the people have been invested so much, both sides, the supporters of the Vice President and those who are actually holding her to account,” aniya pa.
“The whole country is actually looking at how the Senate will act in so far as proceeding with the actual trial is concerned. But in absence of such a decision, it should go through the regular process because the question really is not how the Senate will appreciate the individual members of the Senate, appreciate the articles of impeachment,” punto pa ni Adiong.
Samantala, ipinabatid ng prosecution panel spokesperson na kasabay sa pag-usad ng inaabangang impeachment trial ay magkakaroon ng regular media briefings ang kanilang panig.
Ito’y upang malinaw, buo at tamang maipaliwanag sa publiko ang bawat kaganapan at legal isyu na matatalakay sa nasabing gagawing pagdinig.
“In my own opinion, mukhang kailangan po ‘yung sinasabi nating ginawa ‘nung nakaraang Kongreso na magkaroon ng press briefing para sa ganon ay mas madali para sa ating mga kaibigan sa media na mailahad ang mga dapat mailahad na information at magtanong na rin ng ating partners in the media ‘yung mga kinakailangan tanong para po magkaroon ng mas masusing diskusyon at mas clarified na information na maipapahatid po natin sa publiko,” paliwanag ng Lanao del Sur solon.
Ayon kay Adiong, na chairman ng House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, ang prosecution team ay naghahanda sa posibleng mahabang trial days, close public attention at walang puknat na pag-usisa ng media o maging mismong mula sa mamamayan na sumusubaybay sa impeachment case.
Dagdag ni Adiong, dapat ding masalag ng kanilang kampo ang walang dudang pagpapakalat ng maling impormasyon lalo na mula sa mga kilalang kaalyado ng depensa.
“Isa rin ito sa mga mekanismo para masugpo ang mga posibleng magiging source of disinformation and misinformation. Alam naman natin kung paano ang galawan ngayon sa social media,” paglalarawan niya sa pakay din ng kanilang regular briefings.
Giit ni Adiong, ang tungkulin ng kanilang communications ay mabahiran ang impeachment process maling naratibo lalo na’t lumalawak ang talakayan hinggil dito sa social media at maging sa partisan discussions.
“The House prosecution panel wants a steady explanation of the trial, not because it seeks to replace the work of the impeachment court, but because the public deserves clear and consistent information while the proceedings are ongoing.”
