Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio was not wearing an earpiece when he testified during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero said on Tuesday.
Rather, it was his ear piercing that appeared in viral photos manipulated to look like an earpiece, the presiding officer said.
After Ortonio’s testimony as a prosecution witness ended on August 26, several photos of his ear decorated with a piece of small metal were spread online. The metal was speculated to be an earpiece.
‘After Mr. Ortonio testified before this court, an image of him allegedly wearing an earpiece was widely circulated on the internet… It was an AI generated image and simply false… What he had was an ear piercing at the front fold helix of his ear. Not an earpiece,’ Escudero told the court.
Still, Escudero reminded that witnesses’ testimonies must be free of influence.
‘Every witness must testify, nevertheless, solely from his or her own knowledge, free from coaching or influence from counsel or any other person,’ he said.
Escudero cited the case of a ruling by the United States Supreme Court which barred witnesses testifying from having access to earpieces, headset, mobile phone, smart watch, smart glasses, and any other gadget where information could be transmitted.
The same ruling also prohibits any form of signalling or suggestion to the witness while inside or outside of the courts.
He also cited the ruling of a court in Texas wherein no parties are allowed to influence the witness through a script by any interested