Groups file ethics complaint vs Pia Cayetano over video used to troll Diokno
MANILA, Philippines – Civil society groups on Wednesday, July 29, filed an ethics complaint against Senator Pia Cayetano over her social media post featuring an edited video that they said was used to troll House prosecutor and Akbayan Representative Chel Diokno.
The complaint, filed with the Senate ethics committee, accused Cayetano of sharing a spliced and misleading video while she sits as a senator-judge in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The complainants — many of them women’s rights advocates and academics — asked the Senate committee to investigate the matter and impose appropriate sanctions if warranted.
Among those who complained were former Commission on Higher Education chair Patricia Licuanan, University of the Philippines-Diliman professor Jean Franco, who is also a co-convenor of EveryWoman, and representatives from several advocacy organizations, including Parents Initiative and Social Awareness Mainstreaming Advocacy, Sanctuary Network, Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, District Wide Advocates Quezon City, and Pandayan Para sa Sosyalistang Pilipinas.
Other complainants included Maria Cristy Balleras, Jocelyn Gerldino, Janette Balanguit, Estrella Soriana, Hammimah Sarip Kalaw, Joahna Marie dela Cruz, Edrianna Villaruz, Joanna Marie Caumeran, Oliva Solis and Lourdes Magtibay.
Juanna Caumeran of the group EveryWoman said any investigation by the Senate ethics committee is in order, adding that they saw Cayetano’s posting of the spliced video as an inappropriate conduct for a senator, particularly one serving as a judge in the ongoing impeachment trial.
“We are calling on the ethics committee to immediately start the investigation and, if necessary, impose the corresponding penalty on the senator for posting the spliced video on her official Facebook page,” she said.
They accused Cayetano of undermining public confidence in the neutrality of the impeachment court, saying her reposting of the video could weaken trust in both the Senate and the impeachment process.
The complainants also said Cayetano’s act went against the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability and was a breach of the oath taken by senator-judges to administer impartial justice.
Contrary to the message conveyed by the video shared by Cayetano, Diokno reaped praise for his performance in the oral arguments on the prosecution’s request to subpoena the financial records of the Vice President and her husband, Mans Carpio.
Here is the full video on Diokno’s response to the question that the prosecution appears to be on a “fishing expedition.”
– Rappler.com
* Quotations from Filipino were translated into English for brevity and clarity.
