A group of women’s rights advocate, academics and feminists on Wednesday, July 29 filed a complaint against Senator Pia Cayetano for supposedly posting a spliced and misleading video that falsely portrayed House prosecutor and Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno as admitting that they were pursuing Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial without evidence.

In a statement, the group said Cayetano’s actions are deemed inappropriate considering she is serving as a senator-judge in the ongoing impeachment trial of the vice president. 

“The deliberate editing of official impeachment proceedings to mislead the public is not merely a political act, it is a serious ethical issue that strikes at the integrity of the Senate as an impeachment court,” the complainants said. 

The four (4)-paged complaint submitted by Tindig Pilipinas to Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, appealed for an official inquiry into Cayetano’s actions and determine the appropriate response under the Senate’s rules and disciplinary authority.

“We respectfully submit that the weaponization of edited media is malign in and of itself, but doing so while serving as a senator-judge in an impeachment court, at the expense of a fellow lawyer and lawmaker, is breathtakingly reprehensible,” they said.

“We make this request not out of partisan interest but in fidelity to constitutional governance and in the interest of the Filipino people who deserve transparency, accountability, and principled leadership from those entrusted with legislative power,” they also stated in the complaint.

The group reminded that the Senate Impeachment Court derives its legitimacy both from the mandate of its members and its fidelity to the rule of law.

“When a senator-judge publicly acts in a manner inconsistent with the standards governing the proceedings, public confidence in the institution is inevitably diminished,” they said.

“Ultimately, the integrity of both the Senate as a body and impeachment as a constitutional mechanism suffers. The committee’s timely intervention is, therefore, essential to prevent further insituttional erosion,” they stressed. 

The complainants include former Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Patricia Licuanan, University of the Philippines-Diliman professor Jean Franco, who is also co-convenor of Everywoman, Maria Cristy Balleras, Jocelyn Gerldino, Janette Balanguit and Estrella Soriana of the Parents Initiative and Social Awareness Mainstreaming Advocacy (PINASAMA).

The video in question was uploaded directly on Pia Cayetano’s official Facebook page and carried the caption: “Nagbabakasakali lang (just trying his luck)” and “Walang mga ebidensya pero nag-aakusa na (They’re making accusations without any evidence)."

It featured edited clips of her brother, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano’s lengthy exchange with Diokno regarding the prosecution’s bid to subpoena Duterte’s financial records, with the debate centering on whether the request is actually a “fishing expedition."

The Cayetano siblings are acting as senator-judges in the impeachment trial. The siblings and Diokno are all lawyers.

The video featured a “laughing sound” effect at the end which cut short Diokno’s response to a question the senator raised.The video swiftly gained online attention with netizens commending Diokno for being “chill,” maintaining his composure throughout the Cayetano’s line of questioning.