By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Thursday defended counsel Lorna Kapunan against attacks from Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, saying the lawyer is being singled out because her witness examinations have strengthened the case against the Vice President.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, prosecution spokesperson, said personal attacks against Kapunan would not answer allegations involving the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
“Well, I’m not going to defend Atty. Kapunan because she can, you know, she can ably defend herself. But there’s one thing I can say: the reason why they are singling out Atty. Kapunan now is because she is good,” Alonto Adiong said.
He said Kapunan had been able to elicit information from witnesses that strengthened the prosecution’s case.
“Personal attacks — saying that she’s a marites (gossiper) — would not help not only the case of the defense, but it will not help the entirety of the proceedings,” he added.
Paolo Duterte earlier called Kapunan a “marites” and accused her of using the Ateneo de Zamboanga University shooting to promote an anti-Duterte narrative.
“Atty. Kapunan, stop being a gossiper during the impeachment. Let us not use a horrific tragedy to push for an old and used anti-Duterte narrative,” Duterte said.
He challenged the prosecution to present evidence instead of relying on statements.
“If there’s evidence, release it. If there’s a case, prove it,” he said, adding that lawyers should “lay down evidence, not spread intrigue during tragedies.”
The dispute followed Kapunan’s remarks that Vice President Duterte, while not solely responsible for the country’s culture of violence, had contributed to its worsening.
She cited Duterte’s previous remark about hiring an assassin for P5,000 and also pointed to the legacy of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs.
The Ateneo de Zamboanga shooting left two people dead, including the Grade 9 student identified as the shooter, according to the school.
ia/xf
