Manila: House trial spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong on Wednesday criticized the pretrial brief submitted by Vice President Sara Z. Duterte's defense team, stating that it is extensive in volume but lacks precise responses to the allegations that will be examined during the impending impeachment trial.

According to Philippines News Agency, Adiong noted that the defense's pretrial brief spans 72 pages, cites over a hundred witnesses, and lists hundreds of documentary exhibits. However, he pointed out that it fails to provide a clear and direct response to the allegations, a question that remains unanswered for many Filipinos. Adiong also raised concerns that many witnesses and documents listed by the defense are drawn from evidence already identified and submitted by the prosecution, questioning the defense's independent factual narrative.

Adiong emphasized the importance of a pretrial brief in helping the impeachment court identify issues, evidence, and witnesses material to the case, stating that it should clarify issues and identify the relevance of witnesses. He reiterated the House prosecution panel's support for Vice President Duterte's right to present her defense and have her day in court, expressing a desire for the process to move forward to provide answers to the Filipino people.

In a separate statement, Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union questioned if the defense's pretrial brief was meant to clarify issues before the impeachment court or complicate them further. Ortega expressed concerns that the filing, described in broad and generic language, offered little explanation of what it aims to establish, potentially obscuring rather than clarifying the issues. He emphasized that the brief should narrow issues and identify disputed facts, yet many questions remain unresolved, leading to uncertainty about the defense's intentions.