Ipinakilala ng House impeachment prosecution panel ang unang batch ng private prosecutors na tutulong sa impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte.
Sa press conference sa House of Representatives noong Huwebes, sinabi ni Rep. Atty. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, House Impeachment Team Lead Prosecutor, Justice Committee Chairperson, at Batangas 2nd District Representative, na mula ang unang batch sa Pecabar Law Firm, Kapunan and Castillo Law Offices, at SALiGAL Law.
Kasama rin sa pagpapakilala si Rep. Jose Manuel “Chel” I. Diokno, House Impeachment Team Prosecutor at AKBAYAN Party-list Representative.
“Today is a very important day for the country because finally we will be introducing the first batch of the private prosecutors who will be assisting the House Prosecutors,” ani Luistro.
“By first batch, it means that there will be subsequent batches,” dagdag niya.
Ayon kay Luistro, boluntaryong sasali ang private lawyers sa trial preparation, kabilang ang witness preparation, pleadings, at iba pang impeachment-related work.
“Preparation of witnesses, preparation of pleadings, and all others which will be needed with respect to this impeachment trial,” paliwanag ni Luistro.
Sinabi rin niyang hindi bago ang ganitong setup dahil mayroon nang private prosecutors noong impeachment trial ni dating President Joseph Estrada.
“We have seen in the past as well, as early as the Estrada impeachment, meron nang mga private prosecutors,” ani Luistro.
Si Diokno, na nagsilbing private prosecutor noon sa Estrada impeachment trial, ay nagsabing pro bono ang trabaho.
“Actually I was one of those who served as a private prosecutor during that time. Pro bono po yan, volunteer po tayo at ginawa po namin yun dahil naniniwala kami sa pananagutan,” ani Diokno.
“Hindi po madali ang trabaho ng isang prosecutor,” dagdag niya.
Nilinaw ni Diokno na hindi papalitan ng private lawyers ang House prosecution panel.
“It’s very clear naman any and all private prosecutors are under the control and supervision of the public prosecutors,” ani Diokno.
Ganito rin ang diin ni Luistro.
“But I want to make it clear that the lead and the one in control of the trial will still be the House Prosecutors,” sabi niya.
Ang 10 abogado sa unang batch ay sina Atty. Marforth T. Fua, Atty. James Bryan Ibrahim A. Alih, Atty. Erwin G. Matib, Atty. Justine Anne L. Lamarca, Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan, Atty. Sonya Margarita Benemerito-Castillo, Atty. Deanna Melissa Lorenzo-Singian, Atty. Lino Chris P. Kapunan, Atty. Bettina N. Zamora, at Atty. Amando Virgil D. Ligutan.
Si Fua ay Senior Partner at Managing Partner ng Pecabar Law Firm. Pumang-8 siya sa 2007 Bar Examinations at dating Assistant Presidential Legal Counsel sa Marcos administration.
“As vanguards of the Constitution, we should do it that the constitutional process as mandated in the Constitution is followed through the letter,” ani Fua.
Si Alih ay Senior Associate sa Pecabar Law. Sakop ng kanyang trabaho ang criminal at civil litigation, kabilang ang fraud, graft, at corruption cases.
“So the business of impeachment and accountability of public officers is a serious one,” ani Alih.
Kabilang din sa Pecabar lawyers sina Matib, isang CPA-lawyer at head ng Special Projects and Tax Department, at Lamarca, partner at head ng Litigation and Retainer Departments.
Mula sa Kapunan and Castillo Law Offices, kasama sa batch si Lorna Patajo-Kapunan, Senior Partner na halos limang dekada nang abogado. Para sa kanya, hindi tungkol sa lawyers ang impeachment trial.
“Let me just say here that this is not about us,” ani Kapunan. “This is not about us, public and private prosecutors. This is about all of you. This is about the country.”
Nanawagan din siya sa media at publiko.
“We call on media to share with the public responsibility that we as private prosecutors have assumed to help bring out the truth, to help make accountable a public official that deserves to be accountable,” sabi ni Kapunan.
Kasama rin mula sa Kapunan and Castillo sina Benemerito-Castillo, Lorenzo-Singian, Lino Chris Kapunan, at Zamora, na may karanasan sa litigation, corporate law, family law, estate law, civil at criminal law, labor law, environmental law, at intellectual property.
Si Ligutan naman ay Managing Partner ng SALiGAL Law at Senior Lecturer sa UP College of Law. Nagtuturo rin siya sa University of San Jose-Recoletos at University of Cebu.
“It will not be an easy task unseating and removing from office the Vice President of the Republic, but it is a task that we do not take lightly,” ani Ligutan.
Sinabi niyang naantig siya sa kuwento ng school principal na nasentensyahan ng 11 taong pagkakakulong dahil sa pagbulsa ng P5,000.
“What really motivated me from joining the private prosecution team is the story of a school principal that is ordered to be in prison for 11 years for pocketing 5,000 pesos,” ani Ligutan.
Ayon kay Luistro, maghahain ng entries of appearance ang private lawyers sa Lunes, kasabay ng deadline sa filing ng pre-trial brief.
“They will be filing their entry of appearance,” ani Luistro. “At least what I am certain is for this 10, they will be filing their entry of appearance on Monday.”
Pinasalamatan ni Luistro ang mga abogado sa boluntaryong pagsali sa House prosecution team.
“Pro bono po sila. Voluntary po ang pagtindig nila kasama ang House of Representatives because they believe in the mandate of the Constitution for accountability,” ani Luistro.
“We are more confident than before because of the presence of the private prosecutors,” dagdag niya. /Bistado