House impeachment prosecutor, Rep. Joel Chua of Manila on Tuesday said the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte will proceed even if she personally chooses not to appear before the Senate impeachment court.
Speaking in an interview on ANC’s “Headstart”, Chua explained that under impeachment rules, the Senate’s writ of summons primarily requires the vice president to submit her answer to the articles of impeachment and enter her plea before the court.
“The impeachment court issued a writ of summons because the writ of summons, there are two purposes for that. One is for the vice president to appear before the impeachment court and the other one for her to submit the answer within 10 days,” Chua said.
According to the impeachment prosecutor, Duterte may choose to personally appear, authorize her lawyers to appear on her behalf, or decline to participate altogether as part of her legal strategy.
“Well, that depends on the legal strategy of the defense. So that is not for us to decide. Right now, the vice president is not under our consideration to be our hostile witness,” he added.