MANILA, Philippines – Hinimok ni Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon ang lead counsel ni Vice President Sara Duterte para sa impeachment trial na huwag i-gaslight ang bansa dahil malinaw sa transcript na sinabi ni Atty. Kristine Ferrer sa paglilitis na ang misleading questions ay pinapayagan.
Sa press briefing, sinabi ni Ridon na hindi lamang ang prosecution team ang nakarinig kay Ferrer, miyembro ng defense panel, sa pagkontra nito sa counsel ng prosekusyon na si Atty. Lorna Kapunan sa paggiit na hindi pinapayagan ang misleading questions sa cross examination.
Ito ang sinabi ni Ridon matapos na magsagawa ng manipestasyon ang lead counsel para sa respondent na si Sheila Sison sa pagtatapos ng paglilitis at sinita si private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan sa social media posts na patungkol umano kay Ferrer.
“The transcript is very clear, we who were inside the plenary during trial were not the only ones who watched it, everyone else here and the public itself was able to see it. And the transcript is very clear,” ani Ridon.
“The reply of Ms. Ferrer to Atty. Kapunan was, it was allowed — relating to basically responding to misleading questions. So everyone was basically understanding that the answer of Atty. Ferrer was about the misleading questions. So for me, do not gaslight the nation, that it is Atty. Ligutan’s fault why this matter popped on the defense’s face,” dagdag pa.
Bago matapos ang paglilitis ay sinita ni Sison si Ligutan at binanggit ang isang prinsipyo na “all lawyers and law students know by heart” is that “misleading questions are NOT allowed even on cross-examination.”
Sinabi rin ni Sison na ang pinatutungkulan ni Ligutan ay si Ferrer, at sinabi pang ang “it is allowed” na pahayag ni Ferrer ay hindi sagot sa sinabi ni Kapunan na “misleading questions are not allowed” maging sa cross-examination.
“I find it troubling that a private prosecutor would do this in the middle of a courtroom hearing. Because as far as I’m concerned, [the] impeachment court is also a court of decorum and the rules in impeachment, under Rule 18, actually prohibits participants, especially lawyers, from commenting about the merits of the case,” ani Sison.
“But I really just find it in bad taste to do this at this time and I think it’s really inappropriate to do that to a fellow member of the bar,” dagdag pa niya.
“Because even if we sit at the opposite side of this hall, we remain to be both members of the bar and as officers of the court, we owe each other respect, politeness and even kindness.”
Humiling si lead public prosecutor at Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro kay Presiding Officer at Senator-judge Francis Escudero na payagan si Ligutan na sabihin ang panig nito ngunit hindi pinayagan.
Ani Ridon, kung hindi talaga intensyon ni Ferrer na sagutin si Kapunan ay dapat nilinaw nito ang kanyang panig.
“The defense cannot blame anyone but themselves, my friends. Because if the defense was very sharp to the draw regarding the conversation and the tit for tat during the trial itself, Ms. Ferrer would know that she should have given a different answer during that time,” aniya.
“They should have been quick on the draw, they should have clarified that she was answering not the question on misleading statements or misleading questions, but on something else,” dagdag pa. RNT/JGC
