Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense panel on Tuesday called out House private prosecutor Amando Ligutan over a Facebook post on the rules governing cross-examination, arguing that public comments made during an ongoing impeachment trial violate the decorum expected of lawyers appearing before the impeachment court.
During Day 15 of Duterte’s impeachment trial, lead defense counsel Sheila Sison raised Ligutan’s post, which read: ‘A principle lawyers and law students know by heart: misleading questions are not allowed in cross-examination.’
‘I surmise that this has something to do with the exchange between private prosecutor Attorney [Lorna] Kapunan and defense counsel Attorney [Kristine] Ferrer on the matter of cross-examination,’ Sison said.
Sison said she found it ‘troubling’ that a member of the prosecution would make such a post in the middle of the proceedings, particularly after it was picked up by a news organization.
‘As far as I know, the impeachment court is also a court of decorum,’ she said.
Sison cited Rule 18 of the Senate impeachment rules, which she said prohibits trial participants, particularly lawyers and counsel, from making public statements or social media comments discussing the merits of an ongoing case.
While acknowledging that Ligutan should be given an opportunity to explain the post, Sison described it as being in ‘bad taste’ and inappropriate toward a fellow member of the Bar.
‘Even if we sit on opposing sides of this hall, we remain members of the Bar,’ she said. ‘And as officers of the court, we owe each other respect.’
Sison maintained that Ferrer had merely asserted during the proceedings that leading questions are permissible on cross-examination and objected to public statements that could suggest otherwise about the defense’s handling of the case.
Meanwhile, defense spokesperson Michael Poa defended Sison’s decision to raise the matter before the impeachment court, noting that Ligutan’s post had already circulated on social media.
‘She felt the need to raise that kasi kumalat siya sa social media. I also respect Atty. Ligutan kasi di siya nakapagsalita kanina. Pero di na ako magsasalita since Atty. Sison has already expressed her stand. I will not add fuel to the fire,’ Poa said at a press briefing.