Defense asks retired justice: Are you anti-Duterte?

Lawyers for Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday sought to establish whether a retired anti-graft court justice testifying against her had an anti-Duterte bias, asking the witness about her political affiliations and past dealings with the Duterte family.

“No, I’m not,” Tang said when defense lawyer Mark Vinluan asked if she was opposed to the Duterte family.

Tang also denied being affiliated with Akbayan party-list and said she had “never been political” in her life.

Vinluan asked whether she had been disappointed when then-President Rodrigo Duterte did not appoint her to the Supreme Court. “No, sir. That is the exclusive prerogative,” Tang replied.

Vinluan later questioned Tang about Prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno, who emailed her the subpoena requiring her to testify before the impeachment court.

Tang said she had known Diokno from their time at the Office of the Solicitor General, where they had been adversaries in amparo cases. She denied having any political affiliation with him.

The former Sandiganbayan justice said she appeared before the impeachment court because she had been subpoenaed. She added that she would not have testified had she been offered anything in exchange for her testimony.

“My testimony is not for sale, sir,” Tang said.###