Kapunan joins House prosecution in VP impeach trial

MANILA, Philippines — Lawyer Lorna Kapunan will be among the private prosecutors who will collaborate with the 11-member prosecution team of the House of Representatives tasked to pin down impeached Vice President Sara Duterte when the Senate impeachment court begins its trial.

A reliable source confirmed to The STAR that the defense lawyer will be aiding congressmen when they start presenting documentary and testimonial evidence before the senator-judges.

“Yes, she is one of the private prosecutors and they will be helping the prosecution team,” the House official, who requested anonymity, said.

The scheduled tentative trial has been set by Senate President Francis Escudero on July 29.

The 73-year-old Kapunan, who has more than 40 years in law practice, is the founding partner of the Kapunan & Castillo Law Offices.

She took her pre-law (political science) degree and obtained her law degree from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, and passed the Bar in 1978.

In an online interview, she revealed that she observed numerous signs of “dysfunctionality” in Duterte’s person, noting she “blows hot and cold” on many issues, and apparently defies openly even the simplest of legal requirements.

The House prosecution team is headed by lawyer and House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, the most experienced in litigation among the congressmen. Joining the team are neophytes – representatives-elect Chel Diokno and Leila de Lima.

Human rights lawyer Diokno is the first nominee of the Akbayan party-list that topped the recent party-list polls last May 12, while former senator and justice secretary De Lima – an election lawyer prior to joining politics – will represent Mamamayang Liberal or ML in the 20th Congress.

House prosecution team spokesman Antonio Audie Bucoy earlier told journalists, in a briefing, that private prosecutors in the impeachment trial before the Senate will include lawyers who filed the three impeachment complaints before the House, with the help of some veterans.

It could not be ascertained yet if progressive lawyers Neri Colmenares and Isagani Zarate – both former congressmen of party-list Bayan Muna – will be joining the House prosecution team as collaborating private counsels.

‘General denial’

Bucoy, over the weekend, called out Duterte’s response to her impeachment charges as “a sign of no defense,” saying it amounted to nothing more than a blanket denial without explanation or evidence.

“In general, yes misconceptions, falsehood and general denial. What’s a general denial? She didn’t answer factual allegations. She just said it’s not true. The problem with general denial is that under the law, it is considered an admission,” he said.

“Until now, there has been no explanation on how the confidential funds were spent, and we are now in the impeachment stage. She filed an answer, but it’s still empty. It’s general denial. All of us are still guessing how the funds were spent,” he lamented.

Bishops may mention trial at plenary

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) might briefly take up Duterte’s impeachment trial when they gather for their 130th plenary assembly in Bohol this week.

In an interview over dzMM Radyo Patrol 630, CBCP Committee on Public Affairs executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano said while the impeachment trial is considered a political issue, it might be taken up in passing by the Catholic bishops because the country should know the truth if the allegations made against Duterte are true or false.

He noted that CBCP president Kalookan Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David and some other bishops have recently issued statements expressing their belief that the impeachment trial should push through.

“What they (bishops) are looking for is the truth,” Secillano said. “By not searching for the truth, you are undermining it, and that is a major sin.”

The 130th CBCP Plenary Assembly will take place from June 30 to July 7. This would be the first time that Bohol would host the assembly.

CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Action Justice and Peace chairperson Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, in an earlier interview with Radyo Veritas, said one of the topics that might be taken up during the retreat, prior to the plenary assembly, was the creation of guidelines to implement reforms in the Church to make a genuine “synodal church.”

Bagaforo explained the “Conversation in Spirit” is like a retreat. During this time, they would discuss the results of the Synod and how it could be implemented in their churches.

The national team of the Synod would then craft guidelines for its implementation.

“Maybe one of the changes would be in governance, in running the churches, more involvement of the lay people and not just the council in the actual governance,” Bagaforo said.

As examples, he mentioned lay people could have some participation in choosing priests for ordination, and in the administrative affairs of the church.

“Involvement of lay people will be important there. The role of women, we will see on how we could involve more women in our churches,” Bagaforo added.

The Synod on Synodality was an initiative started by the late Pope Francis in October 2021. It is a journey between the lay faithful and the Catholic Church to promote communion, participation and mission toward a more inclusive church. — Evelyn Macairan