Law professor Ralph Sarmiento declines to testify for Duterte defense in impeachment trial
Law professor and former law school dean Ralph Sarmiento has declined to serve as a witness for the defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial.
In a video message uploaded on Facebook on Thursday, Nov. 5, Sarmiento said he would be unable to testify for both the defense and prosecution, though he was grateful that his constitutional views had been recognized.
"Gusto ko pong magpasalamat sa defense team for recognizing the value of the legal and constitutional views that I've been sharing on social media," the law professor said. "Hindi ko po inaasahan na ang aking mga pahayag ay may potensyal na maging bahagi ng impeachment proceedings."
"However, hindi po ako puwedeng tumestigo as a witness for either side," he continued.
Sarmiento said he valued his independence as a constitutional law professor and legal analyst.
"Gusto ko pong magpatuloy na makapagbigay ng aking mga opinyon na malaya at patas, whichever side it will favor," he said.
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The law professor has asked the defense team to withdraw their request for a subpoena for him. If one had already been issued, Sarmiento requested the Senate Impeachment Court to recall the subpoena.
"I remain committed to contributing to the public understanding of the Constitution as I've always tried to do, independently and fairly and through balanced and impartial legal analysis," Sarmiento said.
On Thursday, Atty. Michael Poa, spokesperson for Duterte's defense team, issued a response to Sarmiento's statement.
"We respect Dean Sarmiento's personal decision and appreciate his initial consideration of our invitation," Poa said. "We wish him well in his continued contributions to constitutional discourse."
The impeachment trial is set to resume on Monday, Nov. 9, its 40th day, after taking a break for the Undas holiday.
Duterte is on trial for charges of unexplained wealth, discrepancies in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth, and prohibited business interests.
The prosecution dropped the three other charges against her, which covered misuse of confidential funds, bribery, and grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
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