Romer Butuyan 
“IF you’re weak on the facts and the law, go against the person.”
Ito ang ginagamit na taktika ng mga abogado ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa pagtatapos ng Article 4 kaugnay ng pagbabanta ng pangalawang pangulo sa buhay ng pangulo at dalawang iba pa.
“Ang nangyayari po ngayon, sana if there is a perception that we’re very strong on the facts, that’s why nag-shift sila sa law. But now it seems that they are weak on the law, nagshi-shift na ang defense sa personalities, attacking the credibility of our witnesses, attacking some persons who are not even our witnesses,” wika ni private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan.
Kabilang sa tinukoy ni Kapunan na diskarteng “character assassination” ng depensa ang pagkakaroon umano ng kaso kaya hindi credible o mapagkakatiwalaan ang salaysay ng ilan sa mga testigong ipinrisinta ng prosekusyon.
Mayroon din umanong pagkakataon na tinangkang ng mga abogado ng bise presidente na idawit sa perjury ang isang witness, na hindi naman isinalang ng prosekusyon.
“And when that failed, there was an attack on our earlier two witnesses saying that maniniwala ba kayo na even the two earlier witnesses who were credible and competent, the attack now was on their conviction or may kaso and all that,” ani Kapunan.
Aniya, masusing kinikilatis at inaalam ng prosekusyon ang qualifications at records ng mga saksi nito bago isalang sa witness stand.
“Which is why we very much welcome the statement of Cong. Jinky when she says, they have been vetted, and there are no pending cases or convictions against them,” ayon pa sa lady private counsel.
Subalit pagbibigay-diin ni Kapunan, ang mga alegasyon na may kinakaharap na kaso ang prosecution witness ay hindi kailanman nakadungis sa matibay na kredibilidad ng testigo.
“And citing the law also, Chair Jinky did say that pending cases will not – if there is no crime conviction for a crime of moral turpitude, it will not affect your credibility as a witness.”
