The defense panel on Wednesday denied that its repeated objections during the 21st day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial were intended to confuse or derail the prosecution’s line of questioning.
Atty. Justin Nicol Gular, defense deputy spokesperson, said the defense raises objections only when it believes a question violates the rules governing the proceedings.
The issue came after several heated exchanges and objections between defense counsel Atty. Sheila Sison and House prosecution counsel Atty. Benjamin Tolosa Jr. during the presentation of former Department of Education Undersecretary and defense counsel Atty. Michael Poa as a hostile witness for the prosecution.
“I will not comment how you characterized our opposing counsel because for one, I have high respects for any and all the lawyers of the prosecution,” Gular said.
He stressed that it has never been the defense’s strategy to raise objections simply to distract or confuse the prosecution.
“What I think I can clarify is that it has never been the strategy of the defense na mag-re-raise kami ng objections para lang mawindang yung kabila or ma-confuse,” he said.
Gular said the defense bases its objections on established grounds, including misleading, argumentative, irrelevant and compound questions.
He also noted that leading questions are generally not allowed during direct examination.
“Kapag may narinig kami na parang compound to, parang argumentative to, parang misleading to, or bawal itanong dahil direct tayo, bawal yung leading sa direct, we raise the objection,” Gular said.
His remarks came after a reporter pointed out that repeated objections during the proceedings appeared to disrupt the prosecution’s questioning, at times leaving the prosecution counsel unable to immediately continue with the next question.
Gular, however, said derailing the opposing counsel was never the intention of the defense.
“That is never the intention,” he said.
Gular also appealed to the public to understand that lawyers from both sides are performing their duties and should be presumed to be acting in good faith.
“I hope the public understands by the end of the day kaming mga abogado, we have high respects to each other and we are all aware na we are merely doing our jobs,” he said.
