Ligutan calls out Sheila Sison after taking witness' notes: 'Ask to be recognized first'

[0:00] Now, thank you so much. [0:04] Attorney Lotok, you said that the former Speaker of the House of Representatives also gave [0:11] yung tugon niya sa naging mga pagbabantaan ng Vice Presidente laban sa buhay niya. [0:17] Could you just summarize exactly ano ba yung tugon ng former Speaker ng House of Representatives? [0:24] Yes, Your Honor, if I remember it right, I think the Speaker issued a statement [0:30] during the plenary session on November 25, 2024, which was published in the ANC Digital. [0:39] And then among others, the former Speaker stated that the utterances were dangerous, unprecedented. [0:52] Isa itong banta sa demokrasya at sa siguridad ng bansa. [0:57] Alright, now, Mr. Witness, Attorney Lotok, sinabi mo rin na may mga ahensya [1:02] ng gobyerno na nagbigay din ng kanilang tugon sa mga pagbabantaan ng Vice Presidente. [1:08] If you may, anong mga ahensya na ito? [1:12] Yes, Your Honor, for one, the Presidential Communications Office, [1:19] the Philippine National Police, the National Security Council, [1:25] and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. [1:29] Okay. Let's focus on muna sa Presidential Communications Office. [1:34] Ano ba yung statement ng Presidential Communications Office kung alam mo? [1:40] If I remember it right, the PCO classified the threat as an active threat. [1:48] As an active threat. [1:49] And directed the Presidential Security Command to, I think, investigate the matter. [1:59] As an active threat. [2:00] It was the Executive Secretary who directed the Presidential Security Command. [2:06] Based on that statement. [2:07] Okay. Now, sinabi mo rin yung Philippine National Police. [2:10] Yung tanong is kung maalala mo, ano ba yung sinabi ng PNP in response [2:15] sa naging mga pagbabanta ng Vice Presidente sa buhay, [2:19] ng Presidente siya kayong dalawa pa? [2:21] Your Honor, if I may refer to my notes. [2:24] Your Honor? [2:25] You may do so, Your Honor. [2:26] You may do so, Mr. Witness. [2:28] Thank you, Your Honor. [2:28] The Philippine National Police issued a statement relative to the press conference made by the Vice President. [2:45] Quote, [2:46] The Philippine National Police threats any threat to the safety and security of the President [2:51] and all public officials with the utmost seriousness. [2:56] In light of the Vice President Sarah Duterte's recent statement, [2:59] which directly referenced an assassin contracted to target the President, [3:05] the PNP recognizes the grave nature of this matter. [3:08] The safety of the President is a national concern [3:11] and any direct or indirect threat to his life [3:15] must be addressed with the highest level of urgency. [3:20] Close. Unquote. [3:22] Hindi ko nao binasa lahat. [3:23] All right. [3:24] Your Honor. [3:25] At really, Law Talk. [3:26] Now, the PNP used, based on your statement as the response of the PNP, [3:34] the PNP used the term assassin [3:37] in referring to the person contracted by the Vice President to kill the President and two others? [3:45] Your Honor, it was not just the PNP, [3:47] even the Presidential Communications Office also used the term assassin, Your Honor. [3:53] Okay. [3:53] Now, what about the National Security Council? [3:56] Ano bang sinabi ng NSA kung alam mo? [3:59] Again, Your Honor, [3:59] if I may refer to my notes. [4:05] Your Honor, [4:11] Your Honor, [4:13] may the witness be allowed to refer to his notes once more? [4:16] You may do so, Mr. Witness. [4:18] Thank you, Your Honor. [4:37] Your Honor, [4:38] the question was about the statement of the NSC, right? [4:40] Yes. [4:40] Quote, [4:43] The National Security Council considers all threats to the President of the Philippines as serious. [4:49] Any and all threats against the life of the President shall be validated and considered a matter of national security, unquote. [4:58] Okay. [5:00] Now, sinabi mo rin na yung Armed Forces of the Philippines or AFP [5:05] nagbigay din ng kanilang response sa naging pagbabantaan ng Vice Presidente. [5:11] Kung alam mo, [5:12] tsaka kung maaalala mo, [5:13] ano ba yung sinabi ng Armed Forces of the Philippines? [5:18] Say, Your Honor, [5:19] if I may refer to my notes. [6:08] For orderly proceeding, [6:10] Your Honor, [6:10] please, [6:10] I think it's proper for a third decision to ask to be recognized first. [6:14] Yes, Your Honor. [6:16] If I may be recognized, Your Honor. [6:17] Depends. [6:17] What is the pleasure of the Council for Respondent Attorney Season? [6:23] Would you state an observation on the notes? [6:26] Your Honor, [6:27] I think [6:27] Counsel, [6:28] we agreed [6:29] that only one Council shall speak insofar as the presentation of a witness is concerned. [6:37] This was objected to by the Council for Respondents, [6:40] even if it was asked for by the Council for the Prosecutors. [6:43] Your Honor, [6:43] for the record, [6:44] we are not objecting, [6:45] but, you know, [6:45] for a properly proceeding, [6:47] Attorney Season, [6:47] Council, [6:48] it's okay. [6:48] The Chair will make a ruling. [6:50] Attorney Bin Luan, [6:50] can handle that with your permission, [6:53] Attorney Season? [6:54] Your Honor, [6:55] I'd just like to share the observation [6:56] that the witness is reading from notes from his notes and not directly from the document that he identified. [7:06] And if I may reply to that, Your Honor, to that non-issue, Your Honor, if I may? [7:11] Yes, Your Honor. [7:12] Yes, [7:13] I'm counsel for the prosecution. [7:14] Your Honor, [7:15] wala po sa rules na kailangan na yung tugon ng isang witness sinabi niyang notes. [7:20] Dapat based isang dokumento. [7:22] In fact, [7:22] Your Honor, [7:22] please, [7:23] yung iniisip ng ating rules, [7:25] yung mga notes na ginawa mismo ng witness. [7:29] For the public, [7:30] if you're interested, [7:31] you may look at Rule 130, [7:33] Section 16 ng Rules of Court. [7:35] Andun yun, [7:35] po pwedeng tingnan ng isang testigo yung notes na ginawa niya. [7:40] Rule 130, [7:41] Section 16, [7:42] please. [7:43] Before I recognize counsel for respondent, [7:46] Senator Judge Luxon, [7:48] what is your pleasure, sir? [7:49] Thank you, [7:49] Mr. President. [7:51] This is relevant to the discussion. [7:54] The gentleman may proceed, [7:55] and he has two minutes. [7:56] Yes. [7:57] You requested to refer to your notes a number of times during your direct examination. [8:03] Ang talong ko, [8:04] are you referring to an investigator's notes or notebook, [8:10] or simply notes? [8:12] No, [8:12] Your Honor, [8:12] during the investigation, [8:14] I have copies of the affidavit of investigations that we have. [8:19] Yeah, [8:19] I ask that question [8:20] because my understanding [8:21] of an investigator's notes or notebook [8:24] to be credible [8:25] and may even be used as part of the examination [8:28] or evidence-in-chief, [8:30] depending on its authenticity and purpose [8:33] and the role of evidence [8:34] is that the contents therein were written on the exact dates [8:37] when the subjects of those notes actually happened. [8:41] Ito ba yung ginawaan niyo mismo? [8:43] Yes, [8:43] Your Honor, [8:43] or during the investigation? [8:44] Thank you. [8:45] Thank you for the clarification. [8:46] Thank you, [8:46] Senator Judge Luxon. [8:48] Noted and entered in the records. [8:49] Counsel for Respondent, [8:50] what is your pleasure? [8:52] Your Honor, [8:52] that was your manifestation, [8:53] Your Honor. [8:54] We just want to put it further record. [8:56] There being no objections, [8:58] some witness may proceed and answer [8:59] or counsel may proceed with these questions. [9:03] The Armed Forces of the Philippines, [9:04] ano sinabi ng Armed Forces? [9:05] Are we done? [9:07] That's it. [9:08] Okay, [9:09] so let's go back. [9:12] Yeah, [9:12] if I may, [9:13] Your Honor. [9:13] Yes. [9:14] Witness may continue to answer. [9:16] Thank you, [9:16] Your Honor. [9:18] On November 23, [9:20] 2024, [9:21] General Romeo S. Browner, [9:22] Chief of Staff [9:23] of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, [9:25] issued the following statements. [9:27] Quote, [9:27] the Armed Forces of the Philippines [9:29] is a professional organization [9:30] focused on its mandate [9:32] to protect the people [9:33] and the state. [9:35] Our personnel [9:35] are loyal to the Constitution [9:37] and the chain of command. [9:39] Unquote. [9:40] Indiqno po binasa la. [9:42] Sir. [9:43] Okay, [9:43] now, [9:44] after you and your team [9:46] discovered these responses, [9:48] Attorney Loto, [9:49] what happened next, [9:50] if any, [9:50] kung meron ma, [9:51] tsaka kung alam mo, [9:52] in relation sa investigation nyo, [9:54] sa mga statements [9:55] ng Vice President [9:56] on that day, [9:57] November 23, [9:58] 2024? [10:00] We issued subpena [10:02] to the media personalities present [10:05] during the online press conference [10:07] of November 23, [10:09] 2024. [10:10] Sir, [10:11] for them to appear [10:13] on December 4, [10:14] 2024, [10:15] sir. [10:16] You issued a subpena [10:18] to the media personalities [10:19] that you said [10:20] andun sa media conference [10:23] na yun [10:23] to appear [10:24] on December 4, [10:25] 2024. [10:26] Now, [10:27] sino ba yung mga [10:28] media personalities [10:29] na pinasubpina [10:30] ng NBI? [10:32] Again, [10:32] Your Honor, [10:33] if I may refer to my... [10:34] You may do so, [10:35] Mr. Ruggles. [10:35] Thank you, [10:36] Your Honor. [10:36] First, [11:00] to the late [11:01] Dempsey Saidin Reyes [11:03] of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, [11:05] and then to Red Whore, [11:07] Marque J. Mendoza [11:08] of the Manila Times, [11:10] Bons Magsambol [11:11] of Rappler, [11:14] Anna Rosario Malindu Uy [11:15] of the Manila Times, [11:18] Jason Rubrico [11:19] of the SMNI, [11:22] and Michael Flores [11:23] of the Reuters, [11:24] Your Honor. [11:25] Okay. [11:26] Now, Mr. Witness, [11:27] yung tanong now is [11:28] ba't kailangang [11:29] isubpina ng NBI [11:30] etong mga media personalities [11:32] na ito [11:32] na mag-appear sa NBI [11:34] sa araw na yun, [11:35] December 4, 2024? [11:38] Your Honor, [11:38] they were there [11:39] during the online Paskon [11:40] and they participated [11:42] the press conference. [11:46] So, [11:47] ang tingin namin [11:48] meron silang [11:48] personal knowledge [11:50] kasi nandutun sila [11:51] at nagpwede siya [11:52] po sila [11:52] kaya [11:52] we deemed it proper [11:54] to issues [11:54] subpoena [11:55] on them. [11:57] Now, [11:58] so you said [11:58] na they were [12:00] subpoenaed [12:00] to appear [12:01] on December 4, 2024 [12:03] in the NBI. [12:04] Now, [12:05] what happened [12:06] on that day, [12:07] December 4, 2024, [12:08] if any, [12:09] and if you know, [12:10] in relation to [12:11] the investigation [12:12] you conducted? [12:13] The agent on case [12:14] reported to me [12:16] that Mr. Reyes [12:18] and I think [12:19] Mr. Magzambol [12:20] appeared before [12:22] the Office [12:22] of the Cybercrime Division [12:23] and participated [12:25] in the [12:26] process of the [12:27] NBI. [12:28] So,