Progressive groups filed an ethics complaint against Senator Pia Cayetano on Wednesday, accusing her of sharing a misleadingly edited video of Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno during the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Submitted to the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, led by Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, the complaint alleges that Cayetano deliberately uploaded a spliced video of Diokno’s statements to her verified social media account while serving as a senator-judge.
“Naniniwala kami na ito ay hindi magandang conduct, hindi tamang conduct ng isang senador, lalong-lalo na ng isang senator-judge,” Juanna Caumeran of the group Every Woman told reporters after submitting the complaint.
The dispute traces back to a July 20 request by the prosecution panel for subpoenas regarding Duterte’s bank, tax, and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) records.
When Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano questioned if the request was a “fishing expedition,” Diokno clarified that the term only applies when subpoenas lack any evidentiary basis.
According to the complainants, the video shared by Senator Pia omitted Diokno’s clarification, falsely implying that the prosecution conceded to conducting an unjustified search for evidence.
The filing contends that spreading a distorted representation of the proceedings violates a senator’s ethical duties and undermines public trust in the trial.