Rights advocate slams defense warning in Sara Duterte trial

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A human rights advocate slammed the defense panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Tuesday, branding its warnings of criminal liability an “absurd, desperate move” and an outright “assault on press freedom.”

Carlos Conde, former senior researcher at Human Rights Watch – Asia Division and former secretary general of the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP), pointed out that while it might be too early to detect a widespread chilling effect, he would not be surprised if the defense’s persistence has already made some members of the press cautious.

He expressed surprise that Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero allowed such warnings to be aired in the first place, pointing out that the tribunal had already ruled the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) documents were permissible in the hearing.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: ‘Walang takutan:’ 4 senator-judges call out Sara Duterte’s lawyer

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

“These documents are being trotted out openly in an impeachment court,” Conde told the Inquirer. “I don’t think journalists should find it hard to justify reporting on these documents,” he added.

The controversy erupted during a tense confrontation inside the impeachment court on Monday, where defense attorney Mark Vinluan aggressively grilled a witness over the penal provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), demanding answers regarding a potential “breach of information security and confidentiality.”

Pressing the legal risks on the witness stand, the defense highlighted that violations carry penalties of three to eight years’ imprisonment, along with perpetual disqualification from public office.

The confrontational tactic drew swift censure from Senator-Judge Raffy Tulfo, who intervened to call out the defense teams’ “intimidation” and “veiled threats.”

Article continues after this advertisement

Rather than backing down, Conde urged newsrooms to use such an incident as an opportunity to “push the envelope” and report on the documents fairly, while remaining mindful of the accused’s right to due process.

“What the defense is doing is…a really desperate move to try to prevent the public in general from exposing these alleged transactions,” Conde said.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Defense team did not intend to threaten anyone – Poa

“It is up to the media now to really reject that by being persistent in reporting what the documents say,” he added.

During the trial, the witness repeatedly said he could not respond to questions about AMLC records outside the court’s subpoena.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Escudero, for his part, eventually instructed the defense panel to move on to another line of questioning, noting that the witness had already been cautioned about the legal implications of his testimony./coa