Quezon city: Lead prosecutor and House Committee on Justice Chair Gerville 'Jinky Bitrics' Luistro on Thursday called on Filipinos to pray as the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte nears. 'Join us as we pray for the conviction of the respondent in this impeachment trial,' Luistro said.
According to Philippines News Agency, Luistro made the appeal during a Mass for Truth, Justice and Accountability at the Chapel of the Nativity of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cubao, Quezon City. Catholic faithful gathered to offer prayers for the House prosecution panel ahead of the July 6 start of the trial. Thanking members of the clergy and the faithful for their prayers, Luistro asked Filipinos to stand with the prosecution until the conclusion of the proceedings before the Senate impeachment court.
'Please walk with us. Please join us. Please be with us until the conclusion of this impeachment trial,' she said. Also present during the Mass were impeachment prosecutors Representatives Leila de Lima, Lorenz Defensor, Joel Chua, Ysabel Maria Zamora, and Kaka Bag-ao, as well as private prosecutors Lorna Kapunan and Marforth Fua.
Luistro acknowledged the prosecution panel's limitations but said the prayers and support of Filipinos would help sustain them throughout the proceedings. 'We acknowledge our limitations. We acknowledge our imperfections. We acknowledge all our insufficiencies. But let me tell you, my dear brothers and sisters, all your prayers overpower them. All your support overpower them. Ultimately, everybody's love for the Philippine nation overpower kung ano man ang kulang sa mga prosecutors (whatever the inadequacy of prosecutors),' she said.
She also urged Filipinos to pray not only for the House prosecutors but also for the defense panel, the senator-judges, and the nation. 'Let us pray even for the defense team. Let us pray even for the senator-judges. Let us pray for the entire Philippine nation,' Luistro said. 'It is because we believe that Filipinos deserve better leaders. Filipinos deserve a better nation. Filipinos deserve a better republic,' she added.
The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Bong Sarabia, with Msgr. Mel David of Para±aque delivering the homily. Concelebrating were Fr. Ni±o Etulle, Fr. Choi Gliponeo, Fr. Raul 'Puti' Enriquez, and Fr. Manoling Francisco. In his homily, David framed the trial as a moment of national reckoning, saying the public is looking up to the July 6 proceedings as "an opportunity for the whole Filipino people to rise up and walk."
He said the private prosecutors' task goes beyond courtroom argument, as they carry the "burden of helping the country confront the truth after years of public frustration over the misuse of funds, questionable budget practices, and patronage-driven anti-poverty programs." He likened the prosecutors' role to clearing murky water so that the hidden truth could finally be seen. "Hahalukayin ninyo nang sa gayon ang katotohanan ay tuluyang lumabas at makita ng sambayanang Pilipino ang katotohanan (Dig through so that the truth will finally come out and that the Filipino people will see it)," David said.
David urged the prosecutors to draw strength not from power, position, or public applause, but from faith and conscience. "You have to take courage, not from human society, but from God. The task requires more than legal skill. You need wisdom that is not mastered by the knowledge you have, but rather by the guidance of the Holy Spirit," he said.
The House impeached Duterte on May 11 after 257 lawmakers endorsed the verified complaint accusing her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. The Articles of Impeachment allege that Duterte misused PHP612.5 million in confidential funds during her tenure as vice president and education secretary; amassed billions of pesos in unexplained wealth; bribed Department of Education personnel; and publicly threatened President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. The Senate will convene as an impeachment court on Monday to begin the trial.
