KABATAAN Party-list Rep. Renee Louise Co said she welcomed Davao City First District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte’s call to let evidence speak in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“I’m happy to hear na he agrees with us matagal na natin sinasabi yung let the evidence be heard (I’m happy to hear that he agrees with us. We have been saying this for a long time: let the evidence be heard),” Co said in a media interview on July 9 at the Big House in Davao City.
Co said the defense team had repeatedly objected to witness testimonies and pieces of evidence presented during the early proceedings of the impeachment trial.
She added that she hopes Duterte shares the same sentiment with the Vice President’s defense team and allows the process to proceed based on evidence.
Duterte earlier said the public is not interested in statements from either side but wants the truth to come out through the impeachment proceedings.
He criticized Co for claiming to speak on behalf of Filipinos, saying she is not a survey firm and does not represent the views of the entire public.
“Instead of dismissing the Vice President's statements, she should respect the Senate impeachment process and allow the evidence to be presented, examined, and weighed by the proper constitutional forum — not prejudged through press conferences,” Rep. Duterte said in a statement on July 8.
The lawmaker also said public officials must remain humble and that first-term legislators should not assume they know what concerns the public most. He urged everyone to allow the evidence and the constitutional process to determine the outcome.
Duterte questioned Co’s experience and said she should first establish her qualifications to speak on leadership and governance. He also raised her surname’s similarity to that of former congressman Zaldy Co and accused her of gaining attention by criticizing the Vice President.
Meanwhile, Kabataan Party-list Southern Mindanao Region Chairperson Cobbie Jan Canda defended Co and criticized Duterte’s remarks against the lawmaker.
Canda said Co has already filed several legislative measures and actively participated in congressional sessions despite being a first-term representative.
“Kaya kayo galit kay Cong. Renee dahil naibulgar ang katiwalian ni Inday? Your attempts to silence critics through fear and intimidation will never extinguish the people's demand for truth and accountability (Is that why you are angry with Cong. Renee — because Inday’s corruption has been exposed? Your attempts to silence critics through fear and intimidation will never extinguish the people’s demand for truth and accountability)," Canda said in a statement on July 8.
Canda said that Duterte’s statement follows the pattern of branding critics and youth advocates with allegations. He said that the culture of impunity was first cultivated by former President Rodrigo Duterte, who resorted to red-tagging when calls for accountability were made.
Canda said Paolo’s statement followed a pattern of discrediting critics and youth advocates through accusations. He also linked the issue to what he described as a culture of impunity developed during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, when critics faced allegations of red-tagging.
The Senate opened the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 6. Duterte did not attend the first day of proceedings and was represented by her legal team.
Senators elected Francis “Chiz” Escudero as presiding officer after approving several amendments. The impeachment court also issued subpoenas to nine banks for the financial records of Duterte and her husband, while prosecutors presented their plan to prove the four articles of impeachment.
On July 7, Duterte and nine lawyers filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to stop the impeachment trial and questioning Escudero’s authority to preside over the proceedings. RGP
