Inday defends Sison, hits back at Kapunan’s ‘bully’ tag

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday defended her lead defense counsel Sheila Sison after private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan called the lawyer a “bully,” accusing the prosecution of using its political power to pursue allegations it had failed to substantiate with compelling evidence.

Duterte likened Sison to David facing Goliath, saying the lawyer was being vilified for challenging the accusations against her in the Senate impeachment trial.

“Lorna Kapunan calling a defense counsel a bully is like calling David the aggressor against Goliath,” Duterte said in a statement.

“It is a convenient way to vilify the person defending against an overwhelming display of political power,” she added.

The veteran litigator called Sison a “bully” and “bastos” in a press conference after Tuesday’s proceedings, criticizing the defense counsel’s remarks against the prosecution panel and senator-judges.

“They always play the victim card. We are tired of hearing them say we are the victims. Number one, sila naman ang nagsasabing respondent-accused. We never referred to the respondent as accused,” Kapunan told reporters.

The exchange came after the prosecution withdrew three of the four impeachment articles against Duterte, leaving only the article concerning alleged unexplained wealth and business interests.

Sison had objected to the withdrawal, arguing that the prosecution should not be allowed to present allegations against Duterte and then abandon them without giving the defense an opportunity to rebut them before the impeachment court.

Duterte echoed that criticism, questioning why the prosecution had brought the charges to the Senate despite what she described as a lack of compelling evidence.

“You wielded the subpoena powers of the House of Representatives, yet failed to produce what was needed to substantiate your accusations,” she said.

“You then brought the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, seemingly hoping that the impeachment trial would somehow make up for what was missing from the beginning,” she added.

Duterte further defended Sison’s work on the case, saying the defense team had spent countless hours preparing its arguments since 2023, sacrificing sleep and time with family.

“A defense counsel does not become a bully simply because she refuses to let your accusations go unchallenged,” she said.

Duterte also raised questions about alleged cash distribution and political maneuvering surrounding the proposed 2027 national budget, suggesting these could be used to influence senators who will sit as judges in her impeachment trial.

“Is the budget being used to serve the Filipino people, or has it become a bargaining chip to pressure senators who will sit as judges and reward those who vote ‘yes’ in the House of Representatives?” she said.