Why the Need for 16 Lawyers to Defend VP Sara?

By Herbert Vego

BY hiring 16 expensive lawyers from the Fortun Narvasa & Salazar law office to defend her, Vice President Sara Duterte seems to validate the “unexplained wealth” portion of the impeachment case filed against her by the House of Representatives.

As reported, one of the 16 articles of impeachment alludes to “betrayal of public trust due to unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets.”

In her answer to the verified impeachment complaint, VP Sara asked the Senate impeachment court to dismiss it for allegedly violating the one-year bar rule under the 1987 Constitution – that no impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year.

So, what’s new? Why the need for 16 lawyers when that was already the position argued by Senator-judge Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a known Duterte ally, when he moved to dismiss the case on June 10?

The “fourth petition” allegedly violated the constitutional one-year bar because three other impeachment complaints had been brought before the House.

That is misleading because the fourth petition merely encapsulates the arguments contained in the first three. Hence, according to the Office of the Solicitor General, there was no constitutional violation.

In a nutshell, the House impeached the vice-president on the grounds of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., et al, and other high crimes.

The irony of it all is that she had earlier announced that she was looking forward to her impeachment trial as “an opportunity to answer allegations and clear my name.”

In the mind of former Senator Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, however, she would have to spend a fortune to prevent the impeachment trial from pushing through because she could be proven guilty of accumulating at least a billion pesos in bank deposits from “generous drug lords”.

While under the Bank Secrecy Law (Republic Act 1405) all bank deposits are “absolutely confidential,” it provides an exception for impeachment cases.

A decision of “not guilty” by the impeachment trial would therefore trigger more unfavorable comments against the senator-judges in the social media. I say “more” because they are already abundant on Facebook and on Tiktok.

Ano sa palagay mo, Chiz?  Would it be good for your own political future?

-oOo-

WOMEN ENGINEERS AT MORE POWER

MORE and more women engineers have joined MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) as you can see from the company’s Facebook page.  This is a reflection of the distribution utility’s faith in their ability.  No less than the firm’s president/CEO Roel Z. Castro thinks so.

Here let us quote from the latest post on the FB page of MORE Power, lauding its young women engineers (five of them in the picture) in celebration of the International Women in Engineering Day last Monday, January 23, on the “Together We Engineer – Building Better Careers and Workplaces.”

“From pioneering discoveries to leadership roles in infrastructure, sustainability, and technology, women have played a vital role in the evolution of engineering—often in the face of discrimination and doubt.

“Today, we honor the trailblazers who defied expectations and made their mark. Their achievements remind us that innovation thrives in diverse environments—and that a gender-balanced engineering workforce is not just ideal, but essential.

“In the Philippines, we are seeing more women enter the world of engineering, driving change in both traditional and emerging disciplines. Still, the journey is far from over. By recognizing the contributions of women engineers, we also inspire the next generation of girls to pursue careers in STEM with confidence and pride.

“Let’s continue building a future where every aspiring engineer—regardless of gender—has the opportunity to lead, create, and innovate.”