Kapunan joins House prosecution in VP impeachment trial

Lawyer Lorna Kapunan will be among the private prosecutors who will collaborate with the 11-member prosecution team of the House of Representatives tasked to pin down impeached Vice President Sara Duterte when the Senate impeachment court begins its trial.

- By DELON PORCALLA

A reliable source confirmed to The STAR that the defense lawyer will be aiding congressmen when they start presenting documentary and testimonial evidence before the senator-judges.

"Yes, she is one of the private prosecutors and they will be helping the prosecution team," the House official, who requested anonymity, said.

The scheduled tentative trial has been set by Senate President Francis Escudero on July 29.

The 73-year-old Kapunan, who has more than 40 years in law practice, is the founding partner of the Kapunan & Castillo Law Offices.

She took her pre-law (political science) degree and obtained her law degree from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, and passed the Bar in 1978.

In an online interview, she revealed that she observed numerous signs of "dysfunctionality" in Duterte's person, noting she "blows hot and cold" on many issues, and apparently defies openly even the simplest of legal requirements.

The House prosecution team is headed by lawyer and House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, the most experienced in litigation among the congressmen. Joining the team are neophytes—representatives-elect Chel Diokno and Leila de Lima.

Human rights lawyer Diokno is the first nominee of the Akbayan party-list that topped the recent party-list polls last May 12, while former senator and justice secretary De Lima—an election lawyer prior to joining politics—will represent Mamamayang Liberal or ML in the 20th Congress.