By Raymund Antonio
A lawyer for the prosecution panel in the impeachment case of late Chief Justice Renato Corona is the lead lawyer of Vice President Leni Robredo in the sedition complaint she is facing.
Vice President Leni Robredo
(OVP / MANILA BULLETIN)
Robredo, through her legal counsel Marlon Manuel, filed a Motion for Production of Evidence on Thursday before the Department of Justice in relation to the sedition complaint against her.
The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group last month filed a complaint against Robredo and 35 others for their alleged involvement in the plot to oust President Duterte.
The police based its complaint on the allegations of Peter Joemel Advincula, alias “Bikoy” in the viral “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos that linked Duterte’s family and allies to the illegal drug trade.
In the motion, Manuel said Robredo was “deprived of the right to adequately respond to the wild accusations against her,” after the PNP-CIDG “deliberately withheld alleged evidence” other than Advincula’s sworn affidavit.
The Robredo camp noted that complainants claimed to have “other evidence to support the bare allegations” of Advincula, but this was not included in the complaint, which only indicated that such were “to be presented later.”
Apart from sedition, Robredo, including other opposition figures, some Church leaders and lawyers are facing charges of inciting to sedition, cyberlibel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice.
“It is glaring from the Sinumpaang Salaysay of respondent Advincula that aside from a bare and unsubstantiated allegation of the purported presence of respondent in an alleged meeting on March 4, 2019 (which is false), and a profile picture of respondent, there is neither allegation nor proof of respondent’s participation in the alleged crimes charged,” the motion read.
“Assuming that such alleged ‘evidence’ exists, respondent moves that the Honorable Office direct complainants to produce such alleged evidence and allow respondent to make copies or copy the same. This would allow respondent to adequately and intelligently respond to the baseless and wild accusations against her in the present case,” it said.
Manuel, who is the current national coordinator of the Alternative Law Groups, has more than 20 years of experience, primarily in public interest issues, human rights, and labor law, as well as in policy work on social justice legislation and justice system reform work.
He is a former colleague of the Vice President in non-governmental legal group Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal or Saligan.
Before she entered politics, Robredo worked as a lawyer for Saligan and handled the case of the Sumilao farmers.
Manuel appeared before the DOJ for the filing of the motion a day before the first day of hearing tomorrow, which he said they will be present.
“Gusto lang naming mabigyan ng notice ang task force para hindi bukas ay doon na naming agad isu-sumite. Pero nandoon din kami bukas,” he said in a media interview.
(We just wanted to give notice to the task force so we can submit it immediately tomorrow. We will be there.)