House prosecutors: Senator-judges need to show up in-person to assess witness demeanor
House prosecutors in the Philippines have requested that senator-judges attend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in person. They argue that physical presence is necessary to properly assess witness demeanor and credibility, which cannot be fully captured via live video feeds.
Why it matters
The debate touches on the integrity of judicial proceedings and the importance of non-verbal cues in legal decision-making.
MANILA, Philippines - House prosecutors have urged the senator-judges to attend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in person, saying those watching from the live feed miss the chance of assessing how witnesses behave under questioning.
Sen. Robin Padilla uploaded photos yesterday showing himself, Sen. Mark Villar and Sen. Bong Go monitoring the impeachment trial from the Senate lounge.
In the photos, the three senators were still in their official scarlet robes, while a TV screen shows prosecution counsel Amando Ligutan during the direct examination of former Office of the Vice President special disbursing officer Gina Acosta.
"Dito lang kami ng birthday boy na si Senator Mark Villar, kasama ang 'bisyo ay magserbisyo' na si Senator Bong Go sa Senate lounge, nakikinig sa trial," Padilla's post read.
The three senators were present during the opening of the proceedings before heading to the lounge for an apparent lunch break.
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