Sen. Robin Padilla on Wednesday urged the House prosecution panel not to be “one-sided” during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte as he questioned the credibility of some of its witnesses.
Padilla made the remark while debating House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro over the qualifications of prosecution witnesses, including National Bureau of Investigation Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc and Senior Agent Mark Calilung.
“Sana hindi one-sided ang ating prosecution,” Padilla said.
The comment prompted Presiding Officer Francis Escudero to call for order after it drew reactions inside the Senate session hall.
Earlier in the exchange, Padilla questioned the credibility of former self-confessed Davao Death Squad member Arturo Lascañas, whose document submitted to the International Criminal Court was cited during Tuesday’s hearing. He argued that Lascañas had made contradictory statements over the years.
Luistro replied that the Lascañas document was referenced only to explain how the National Bureau of Investigation conducted its investigation into Vice President Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Padilla also challenged the presentation of Lotoc and Calilung as witnesses, claiming they had pending perjury cases.
Luistro rejected the assertion, saying the prosecution had verified that neither witness has a pending case. She added that even a conviction would not automatically disqualify a witness unless it had become final and met the legal requirements involving moral turpitude.
After the hearing, private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan responded to Padilla’s remark, saying it is the role of both sides in an adversarial proceeding to advocate for their respective positions.
“Prosecution should really be one-sided. Yun ang task ng prosecution. The defense is also one-sided because they have to prove the defense. So both sides should be one-sided,” Kapunan told reporters.
