The House Prosecution Panel formally introduced today the first batch of veteran private prosecutors who will assist in the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate. According to House Committee on Justice Chairperson and lead prosecutor Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, the initial group consists of renowned litigators, former government officials, and legal academics who have volunteered to serve pro bono.
List of Private Prosecutors
Among the lawyers introduced were former assistant presidential legal counsel Marforth T. Fua of PECABAR Law, veteran trial lawyer Lorna Kapunan of Kapunan and Castillo Law Offices, and UP College of Law lecturer Amando Virgil Ligutan of SALiGAL Law. Also included in the group are Atty. Erwin Matib, Atty. Justine Anne Lamarca, Atty. James Bryan Ibrahim, Atty. Sonya Margarita Benemerito Castillo, Atty. Deanne Melissa Lorenzo-Singian, Atty. Bettina Zamora, and Atty. Lino Chris Kapunan.
Role of Private Prosecutors
House prosecutor and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno emphasized that the private lawyers will greatly help in organizing evidence and preparing witnesses before the trial proceeds in the Senate. Diokno noted that this is part of the country's tradition, citing his own role as a volunteer prosecutor during the impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada.
The panel leadership clarified that the incoming private lawyers will remain under the direct control and supervision of the House prosecution panel, in accordance with impeachment rules. The House is expected to introduce additional batches of private prosecutors in the coming weeks before the trial begins.
