Senator Robin Padilla hit back at critics who challenged his insistence on presenting the original, native Zoom recording of Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged threats as the primary evidence in her active impeachment trial.
In a social media statement published Thursday, Padilla maintained that the file automatically generated by Zoom’s recording mechanism serves as the authentic primary source.
He cautioned that alternative versions sourced from online livestreams or secondary feeds are mere duplicates vulnerable to digital alteration.
”Ibang klase talaga ang mga bayaran kahit alam nila ang katotohanan ay ililigaw ninyo ang mga tao,” Padilla wrote, rebuking his detractors.
The lawmaker asserted that investigators must secure the raw file saved directly by the meeting host to preserve the integrity of the prosecution’s evidence.
”Lahat ng kumopya dyan sa live feed maging ano man ‘yan galing sa internet, duplicate na ‘yan, anything recorded as duplicate can be manipulated,” he explained. “Trabaho ng investigator hanapin ang raw o ang originally recorded ng creator ng meeting o ng interview… ‘Yun ang laging basehan, hindi ang duplicate file.”
Addressing those who cast doubt on his technical expertise regarding digital media, Padilla pointed to his four decades of hands-on experience in the local film and television industries.
”Ako ay 40 years na sa paggawa ng pelikula at telebisyon. Ang certification ko sa mass media ay experience,” the senator stated. “‘Wag ako ang kuwestiyunin niyo sa mass media. Kuwestiyonin niyo ang bagong graduate, hindi ang matanda na sa mass media. Goodness… You should be teaching the Filipino people of facts, not misguiding our people.”
Padilla closed his message with an appeal to media practitioners and commentators to prioritize their ethical obligations to the public.
”You call yourselves experts. Kailan ba kayo pinanganak sa industriya ng media? At mga kasama ko na nasa media. Hindi naman lahat, asan naman ang inyong duty sa taongbayan para makapagturo ng tama para hindi makapagligaw, passion and love for the job should never be compromised,” he said.
The senator’s remarks come on the heels of public scrutiny over his rigorous questioning of NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung during the Senate proceedings.
Padilla has repeatedly demanded to know the identity of the person who recorded the virtual meeting where the Vice President reportedly claimed she had contracted an assassin to target President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.