By Benjamin Pulta/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — Sparks flew at the Court of Appeals (CA) Thursday during the hearing attended by state lawyers and counsels from a militant lawyers’ group identified by the military as allegedly linked to the terrorist Communist Party of the Philippines.
Marlon Bosantog, representing the government from the Office of the Solicitor General, started his cross-examination of the witnesses with assurances of the government’s commitment to the rule of law and due process.
“No lawyer should be encumbered in the performance of their duty,” said Bosantog appearing for the state as he questioned National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) president Edre Olalia’s allegations and the legal standing of the left-leaning group to bring the suit.
Bosantog said that as a group, the NUPL is a juridical entity that cannot be the subject of physical harm.
Bosantog also underscored that the legal profession faces “inherent risks not exclusive to NUPL”.
The exchange between Bosantog and Olalia became tense after Bosantog described the lawyer as having “split personality” and Olalia, in turn, accusing the government of “coverups” and “victim blaming”.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, attended the hearing and formally informed the court that pressing commitments conflicted with the schedule of AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations, Major General Antonio Parlade Jr., thus preventing the latter from attending the hearing.
The Special 15th Division led by chairman, Associate Justice Stephen Cruz, with Associate Justices Pedro Corales and Hermano Legaspi as members, underscored that there was no need for President Rodrigo Duterte to attend even if he had been named as a nominal respondent.
“We are not requiring the presence of the President, that is clear,” the magistrates clarified.
Assistant Solicitor General Angelita Villanueva-Miranda assured that the generals led by Parlade will be informed that their absence in the subsequent hearings will constitute a waiver to be present there.
The government was also asked to comment on the request for a temporary protection order sought by the parties. Aside from Olalia, also testifying was lawyer Zsarina Musngi.
The CA has set the next hearing on July 11.
The appellate court was tasked by the Supreme Court to conduct hearings on the petition and to submit its report to the high court.
The government, through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Insurgency, is working to uncover organizations used as legal fronts of the terrorist Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
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