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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Ang hustisya po ay neutral': Robin Padilla says prosecution's duty is to seek truth, not victory

'Ang hustisya po ay neutral': Robin Padilla says prosecution's duty is to seek truth, not victory

Published Jul 23, 2026 10:44 am
After his controversial "one-sided" remark, Sen. Robin Padilla on Thursday, July 23, stressed that justice "must remain neutral," a day after a tense exchange with the House prosecution panel during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Senator-judge Robin Padilla (Senate PRIB photo)
Senator-judge Robin Padilla (Senate PRIB photo)
In a Facebook post, Padilla addressed House lead prosecutor Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro, saying the role of prosecutors is not to secure a conviction but to pursue the truth while protecting the innocent.
"Ang hustisya po ay neutral (Justice is neutral)," Padilla wrote.
" Ang tungkulin ng prosecution (piskal) ay hindi para manalo, kundi para sa katotohanan at proteksyon ng inosente. Ang tungkulin naman ng defense (tagapagtanggol) ay ang pagtiyak sa karapatang pantao at balanse sa kapangyarihan (The duty of the prosecution is not to win, but to seek the truth and protect the innocent. The duty of the defense, meanwhile, is to ensure human rights and maintain the balance of power)," he added.
Padilla said both the prosecution and the defense are pillars of the legal system that exist to serve the same purpose: the administration of justice.
According to the senator, justice must remain "completely neutral," blind to political alliances and deaf to the influence of those in power.
"The moment it chooses a side, it ceases to be justice and becomes nothing more than oppression," he said in Filipino.
The post came a day after Padilla told the House prosecution panel not to be "one-sided" during Wednesday's impeachment proceedings. The senator was criticized online for his statement, since the prosecution is expected to take a side.
The remark followed House lead prosecutor Luistro's response to Padilla's concerns over the prosecution's choice of witnesses. Padilla had urged the panel to avoid presenting witnesses whom he claimed were facing perjury complaints.
Luistro rejected the assertion, saying the prosecution had verified that no cases were pending against its witnesses and that a criminal conviction does not automatically disqualify a witness unless it is final and involves moral turpitude.
Padilla later told Luistro, "That was a very good answer. I just hope the prosecution isn't being one-sided."

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