Duterte camp keeps making diversions after heated trial – Kapunan

MANILA, Philippines — Every time damning testimonies or evidence are raised before the impeachment court, the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte would conduct a press conference with discussions that divert attention from the trial itself.

House private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan pointed out the apparent pattern in a press conference on Wednesday, noting that a recent Duterte camp briefing addressed the vice president’s failed travel to Japan and other issues outside the impeachment trial.

Kapunan noted that Duterte recently filed another perjury case against her former aide, Ramil Madriaga, which the prosecutor said was another attempt to divert talks.

“Every time nagkakainitan sa impeachment trial, eh nagkakaroon siya ng press conference, parang kino-confuse ang publiko kagaya kahapon, eh nabalitaan natin na nag-file na naman siya ng perjury case against Madriaga sa Quezon City,” Kapunan told reporters.

(“Every time there are heated discussions during the impeachment trial, they hold a press conference. They seem to be confusing the public, like what they did yesterday. We heard that they filed another perjury case against Madriaga in Quezon City.”)

“Parang iniiba niya ang istorya, so that people will not focus on the impeachment. Sinasabi na naman niya na ito na naman ang issue ng flood control, ‘san naman ang presidente in terms of this (pero) ang tanong natin, where is the vice president in all of these?” she asked.

(“They seem to be creating a different story so that people will not focus on the impeachment.  She is mentioning the issue of flood control again, asking where the president is in terms of this, [but] our question is: Where is the vice president in all of these?)

Another ‘diversionary tactic’

Kapunan thinks the Duterte camp’s spat with Undersecretary Claire Castro over the supposed publication of the vice president’s planned personal trip to Japan — which was eventually canceled — is another “diversionary tactic.”

“I think we should focus on the impeachment case. Obvious, number one, na diversionary tactic ang ginagawa ng Office of the Vice President (OVP). Ginaagawa nilang other narrative, ano, tinitira ng vice president si usec, whatever, on professionalism, et cetera, on transparency of other government offices,” she said.

(“I think we should focus on the impeachment case. Obvious, number one — that the Office of the Vice President is engaged in a diversionary tactic. They are creating another narrative: The vice president is attacking the usec, whatever, on professionalism, et cetera, on the transparency of other government offices.”)

“Pero ang government office ngayon in (But the government office subject of the) impeachment is the vice president herself, who is the impeachable officer,” she added.

Even the supposed framing that the allegations against Duterte do not meet the elements of crime needed for conviction is misplaced, according to Kapunan, since the point of the trial is not her criminal liability, but the vice president’s fitness to hold office.

“Kasi ginaagawa nilang… hindi naman na-prove ‘yon elements ng crime ‘no. Wala namang criminal liability ‘yong finding ng COA [Commission on Audit] na yan at hindi pa final ‘yan kasi dinidiin nila na meron pang remedies, may remedies pa ang [OVP] at DepEd (Department of Education) kasi hindi pa final ang COA findings,” Kapunan said.

(“They are saying that this does not prove the elements of a crime, that the findings of the COA carry no criminal liability, and that is not yet final. They are stressing that there are still other remedies for [OVP] and DepEd because the COA findings are not final.”)

“Pero kagaya ng grave threats, maski na sinasabi nila na this is impeachment, ‘yong elements ng grave threats ay criminal […] hindi ‘yon issue, hindi ‘yong criminal grave threats or inciting — betrayal of public trust ‘yon,” she added.

“So wag tayong ma-divert sa mga sinasabi ng [OVP].  She should be accountable for violation of the Constitution, for graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.”

(“But like grave threats, even if they say this is an impeachment, and that the elements of grave threats are criminal […] that is not an issue, not the criminal grave threats or inciting — it is betrayal of public trust.  So let us not be diverted by the [OVP] statements.  She should be accountable for violation of the Constitution, for graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.”)

Japan trip issue

Earlier, Kapunan also called out Duterte for urging the Office of the President (OP) to release details of government officials’ overseas trips, saying that “transparency and accountability should not be demanded from a single government office alone.”

READ: ‘My plans have changed’: Sara Duterte cancels Japan trip on Aug. 19-24

READ: OVP used secret funds to buy P40-M meds, but that’s not allowed – COA

Duterte said this after announcing that she has cancelled her six-day personal trip to Japan, which would have started on Wednesday, as she had already changed her plans.

The vice president called out media outfits that reported on her trip, saying that the “rush to generate public attention or sensationalize a story should never take precedence over the responsibility to report truthfully and accurately.”

According to Kapunan, the push for transparency should start with Duterte herself, noting that the impeachment trial is borne out of a yearning for accountability.

Kapunan said that part of transparency is explaining why confidential funds (CF) allocated to her offices were spent on non-confidential activities, like medicine purchases, when she could have tapped into regular funds. /atm