Instead of stressing the strict enforcement of rules and laws to prevent theft or misuse of public funds, Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano appeared to be the one providing justifications for Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial, according to former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Domingo Cayosa.
“Eh ito mukhang siya pa ang gumagawa ng palusot. Siya pa amg trying to justify o kaya pahirapan pa, o kaya kukuwenstiyunin pa yung mga probisyon ng mga batas, mga COA rules and regulations,” Cayosa said in the Facts First with Christian Esguerra podcast, referring to Cayetano’s two-day grilling of private prosecutor Atty. Reynaldo Robles over the Commission on Audit (COA) joint circular on confidential funds.
Cayosa praised Robles for standing firm that the prosecution panel’s arguments were not mere theories but grounded in law.
“At maganda rin na diretsahang binasahan siya ni Atty. Robles ng batas sapagkat hindi lang iyan teorya, nakasulat sa batas na bawal ‘yun, hindi tama,” Cayosa said.
He added that Cayetano seemed intent on creating alternative theories to deflect from the irregularities, such as the lump-sum transfer of hundreds of millions in confidential funds to a single security officer who was neither accountable nor bonded.
“Yun ang malinaw na tinestify ng COA at ang nagde-determine kung tama o mali ng paggamit, pag-disburse o pag-liquidate ng pera ng gobyerno, public funds ay COA. Sila ang eksperto dyan,” Cayosa stressed.
According to him, Cayetano appeared to ignore COA’s testimony and instead tried to construct his own narrative.
“Mukhang gumagawa siya ng sariing theory na puwede ‘yun. That’s very unfortunate kasi nakiita ang attempt to ilihis at gagawa ng alternative theory na baka maaaring ilusot o i-justify o maipaliwanag yung controversial na pagkakamali o irregularity na ito by changing the narrative or the theory of the law,” Cayosa said.
Compared to other senator-judges whose questioning helped clarify issues, Cayosa argued Cayetano’s line of questioning was “too obvious” in its intent.
“Masyadong halata. Of course we want to give the benefit of the doubt pero compared to the other senators admittedly marami rin silang nai-contribute sa pagpapalwianag, yung sa kanya medyo obvious na paglulusot yung kanyang pinupuntirya,” Cayosa concluded.# (ZIA LUNA)
