Impeachment trial: Meet prosecution counsel Amando Virgil Ligutan

MANILA, Philippines — Lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan is one of the private lawyers assisting the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Since the impeachment trial started, Ligutan has done the prosecution’s direct examination of witness National Bureau of Investigation Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc and hostile witness Gina Acosta, former special disbursing officer of the Office of the Vice President.

The Cebuano lawyer is not afraid to use his native language during trial, even at times translating for Acosta when the latter said she found some Tagalog words quite deep.

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READ: Escudero teases Ligutan you’re not allowed to ask misleading queries

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Ligutan is the managing partner of SALiGAL Law (Sapayan Lim Alvarez & Ligutan Law Offices) in Cebu.

He is also actively teaching Labor Law, Remedial Law, and Public International Law as a lecturer and law instructor in University of the Philippines, University of San Jose-Recoletos School of Law, and University of Cebu School of Law.

Ligutan was valedictorian when he graduated High School from Sacred Heart Seminary in Palo Leyte in 1999.

Four years later, he completed his undergraduate degree in AB Philosophy from University of San Carlos in Cebu, and was awarded Summa Cum Laude.

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He then pursued Law in University of the Philippines Diliman and graduated in 2009.

Among his expertise are civil and criminal litigation, political and administrative law, and public interest cases.

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He also has expertise in labor relations law, risk and crisis management, and local government and election law.

This Wednesday, Aug. 26, Ligutan is set to explain his Facebook post, which read, “A principle all lawyers and law students know by heart: Misleading questions are not allowed even on cross-examination.”

The post became a point of concern when defense lead counsel Sheila Sison raised to the impeachment court that the post was seemingly referring to a statement made by defense counsel Kristine Ferrer during her cross-examination of state auditor Xylene del Campo.

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After Ligutan’s oral statement, the presiding officer is expected to make a ruling on the matter. /mr