Playing victim? Kapunan says people, not Sara, the one oppressed

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s lawyers have allegedly painted her as the victim after the prosecution team has withdrawn three of four articles of impeachment, but counsel for the prosecution Lorna Kapunan maintained that the true victims are the people.

Kapunan in a press briefing on Tuesday, after Duterte’s impeachment trial, said that the defense has always been “playing the victim card” ever since the trial started, up to when the prosecution decided to withdraw three articles.

However, Kapunan said that the taxpayers who funded Duterte’s offices involved in questionable fund use are the ones who are at the losing end.

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“Let me just say that after 38, 39 days of this trial, this impeachment, we have heard manifestations time and again from the defense, especially from their lead counsel, they always play the victim card. We are tired of their frequent claim that ‘we are the victims,’” she said.

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“We never referred to the respondent as accused […] they say ‘the respondent-accused.’ Okay, so what is the intention there?  They want again to portray the respondent vice president as a victim, forgetting that, wait a minute, she is not the victim, the people are the victim here because you’re talking about public funds,” she added.

According to Kapunan, people should get rid of that “kawawa naman ang vice president syndrome” as the people who funded her offices are the ones suffering from wrong choices.

“So again, let us remove that pity the vice president syndrome. Let us not think like she is the victim, you, you are the victims.  Whose money is this? These are public funds, these are not her personal funds and yet she spends it as if it was her private ATM,” she said.

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“She spends it the way she wants to spend it without accountability,” she added.

During Tuesday’s trial, Duterte’s lead lawyer for the impeachment Sheila Sison called out lead public prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, warning that there may be a mistrial if the impeachment court allows the prosecution to withdraw the three articles and effectively prevent Duterte from countering the evidence already presented.

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Sison questioned the prosecution panel for this sudden move, noting that this comes after the public and senator-judges have already heard the evidence presented — which entailed the use of government funds and the participants’ energies.

But Kapunan said she is surprised why the defense is mad at the withdrawal, when it allows the vice president to face fewer charges — speculating that it might be the lawyers who are unhappy.

“It is only here that I saw a respondent who is faced with a situation that three of four charges were dismissed, but complains why that happened.  I am very surprised at the reaction of the defense counsels when they say acting as if they are aggrieved because the charges were dismissed, they should be happy,” she said.

“In fact, I doubt if they have consulted the vice president […] because I am sure if you are the vice president, instead of facing four complaints, four charges, then there is only one, would you not be happy? Maybe it’s the defense lawyers who are not happy,” she added.

Sison said there is no issue with Article III being withdrawn, since the prosecution has not presented any evidence for this accusation. However, they take offense with Articles I and IV because documents have already been presented — and were provided for public consumption.

For example, prosecution spokespersons Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong and former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said that the system for confidential fund (CF) expenditures employed by Duterte’s offices mimicked that of Davao City.

Alonto Adiong and Barbers based their claims on the testimonies and statements of past and present Duterte employees from Davao City when she was city mayor, up to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

This included witnesses for Article I, or the alleged confidential fund misuse.

READ: Duterte’s anomalous CF use system has roots in Davao City – solons

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But with the Senate Impeachment Court granting the prosecution’s request, the defense can no longer present evidence for Article I, as any counter to this withdrawn case would have to be done outside the court. /das