Kapunan reminds Senate of Safe Spaces Act after Tulfo ‘pa-cute’ remark

MANILA, Philippines — Counsel for the prosecution Lorna Kapunan reminded the Senate on Thursday that it was the same chamber that passed the Safe Spaces Act, after Sen. Raffy Tulfo said a member of the prosecution team was “trying to be cute” while questioning a witness in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

Kapunan said she believed Tulfo’s remark was a misstatement but stressed that the Senate should remain a safe space for women.

“Let me just say that I think the Senate should be reminded that it was the Senate that passed the Safe Space Law. And that Safe Space is the Bawal Bastos Law headed by Senator Risa Hontiveros, also in the House (of Representatives),” Kapunan said at a press briefing.

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READ: Tougher Safe Spaces law gets Senate’s final approval

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“So we are believing that could be a misstatement, but still believing that the Senate is a safe space for women like us, and for senior citizens like me,” she added.

Republic Act No. 11313 or the Safe Spaces Act was signed into law by Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, last April 2019. Then last January 2025, the Senate unanimously approved on third reading a bill that seeks to strengthen R.A. No. 11313.

During Thursday’s proceedings, Tulfo criticized the prosecution for what he said was a lack of strategy in presenting witnesses, saying prosecutors should pique the interest of the senator-judges.

READ: Tulfo chides prosecution: Be strategic, field only necessary witnesses

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He cited an instance in which a witness was supposedly being made fun of because a prosecutor “was trying to be cute while talking to the police officer.”

Tulfo did not identify the prosecutor involved.

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‘Name names’

Public prosecutor and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said there was no member of the prosecution team who was trying to be “cute” with a witness.

“I don’t think mayroon pong nagpapa-cute sa mga witness na mga prosecutors. We are here to do our job, ‘yon pong lahat ng prosecutors na involved ay ginagawa ‘yong kanila pong gampanin para patunayan po ‘yong Articles of Impeachment,” he said.

(I don’t think anyone from the prosecutors are trying to be cute for the witnesses. We are here to do our job, all of the prosecutors involved only do their tasks to prove the allegations in the Articles of Impeachment.)

He said the prosecution team was focused on proving the allegations in the Articles of Impeachment.

“So we respect what he said on whichever matter, but we dispute ’what he mentioned that there were prosecutors trying to play cute before a witness,” he said.

Ridon said Tulfo should identify the prosecutor if he was referring to a specific incident.

Ridon then joked about Kapunan.

“We are proud of our prosecutors, kung meron hong cute dito, Lorna Kapunan lang po ’yon, mga kaibigan,” he said.

(We are proud of our prosecutors, and if there is someone cute here, it’s only Lorna Kapunan, my friends.)

So far, the prosecution has presented only one police officer, P/Maj. Joericson Sangalang of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office.

Sangalang testified on Article II of the impeachment complaint, which covers allegations that Duterte had unexplained wealth that was not declared in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

During his testimony, San Juan Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora questioned Sangalang about firearms owned by Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, that were allegedly not declared in Duterte’s previous SALNs.

Zamora was earlier criticized online by some Duterte supporters who accused her of being “flirtatious” and “acting cute” while questioning Sangalang.

Zamora responded to the criticism by telling her online bashers to “get a life” if they could not handle her sass and style.

READ: Zamora tells bashers behind sexist remarks: Get a life

Several lawmakers later defended Zamora.

Prosecution spokesperson and former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said Wednesday that personal and sexist attacks against Zamora were meant to divert attention from the issues raised in the impeachment trial.

Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V likewise described the attacks as a tactic used by Duterte supporters.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Sarah Elago said her group stood with Zamora, saying the focus should remain on the issues raised during the trial rather than on her personality or gender.

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“We stand with Rep. Bel Zamora against the misogynistic comments and personal attacks directed at her online following her role in the impeachment trial,” Elago said./ja