Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno, serving as a member of the House prosecution panel, raised alarms that aspiring lawyers watching the broadcasted Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte might absorb flawed lessons regarding professional courtroom behavior.
Diokno shared his observations following the trial’s 15th day on August 12, which featured multiple tense moments and alleged lapses in professional etiquette.
“Minsan ako ay nalulungkot kasi baka maisip ko minsan na iba ‘yung natututunan ng ating mga law students ‘pag pinapanood nila ‘yung impeachment proceedings,” Diokno remarked.
Drawing on more than thirty years of litigation practice, the lawmaker emphasized the need for clear boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable conduct in judicial proceedings.
“Gusto ko rin malaman ng lahat ng legal community, especially our young law students and lawyers, what is proper and what is improper during a court proceeding,” he explained.
According to Diokno, professional respect serves as the bedrock of courtroom decorum.
“Ang pinaka-essence ng court decorum talaga ay respeto. Respeto sa judge, respeto sa kalaban. At that is what we are hoping and insisting will happen in this impeachment case,” he emphasized.
The August 12 trial session saw defense counsel Atty. Kristine Ferrer call for “kindness” from prosecutors after engaging in a sharp debate with prosecution lawyer Lorna Kapunan.
Diokno addressed the wider issue of tone, noting that yelling at opposing counsel is uncalled for.
“Magkalaban kayo sa court tapos tataasan ka ng boses ng kalaban mo. I don’t think that’s even necessary in court,” Diokno observed.
He reiterated that judicial decisions depend on the legal strength of arguments rather than the loudness of an attorney’s voice.
“Ang kailangan lang matibay, solid, ang argumento mo. Hindi naman pataasan ng boses ang court hearing,” he added.
Diokno also underscored the imperative of allowing witnesses to complete their statements without interruption during cross or direct examination.
“We should never interrupt a witness while they are speaking,” Diokno stressed.
He noted that even during challenging questioning, procedure requires patience and restraint.
“May tinanong ako sa witness, nagsasalita ang witness, hindi ko pwede siyang pigilan. Hintayin ko dapat out of respect ‘yung sasabihing kabuuan ng testigo, and then I can respond appropriately,” he detailed.
He clarified that if a lawyer considers a witness’s response improper, the correct legal remedy is to let the witness finish before requesting the court to strike the answer from the record.
“These are the same things that we expect during the impeachment trial,” Diokno concluded.