Ethics complaint filed vs Sen. Pia Cayetano over spliced video

MANILA, Philippines — Women’s rights advocates, academics and civil society groups yesterday filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Pia Cayetano, accusing her of posting a spliced video that they said misrepresented statements made by House prosecutor Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The complaint was filed by coalition Tindig Pilipinas before Sen. Vicente Sotto III, chairman of the Senate committee on ethics and privileges, seeking an investigation into Cayetano’s alleged conduct as a judge in the impeachment court. The complainants alleged that Cayetano shared an edited video that falsely suggested Diokno had admitted the House prosecution was pursuing the Vice President without evidence. According to the complaint, the video omitted Diokno’s explanation that a “fishing expedition” exists only when subpoenas are sought without any evidentiary basis, creating the impression that prosecutors were seeking Duterte’s bank records, tax records and Anti-Money Laundering Council documents without supporting evidence. The complainants include former Commission on Higher Education chair Patricia Licuanan; University of the Philippines Diliman professor Jean Franco, co-convenor of Everywoman; representatives of the Parents Initiative and Social Awareness Mainstreaming Advocacy, Sanctuary Network, Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, District Wide Advocates Quezon City and Pandayan para sa Sosyalistang Pilipinas. The groups argued that editing official impeachment proceedings in a manner that allegedly misleads the public raises serious ethical concerns for a senator serving as an impeachment judge. “The deliberate editing of official impeachment proceedings to mislead the public is not merely a political act but a serious ethical issue that strikes at the integrity of the Senate as an impeachment court,” the complaint read. The complainants said Cayetano’s actions violated the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, which prohibits lawyers from engaging in dishonest or deceitful conduct, as well as the constitutional oath taken by senators to render impartial justice in impeachment proceedings. They also maintained that senator-judges must not only remain impartial but also avoid actions that create the appearance of bias, arguing that sharing the edited video undermined public confidence in the neutrality of the impeachment court. The groups urged the Senate ethics committee to investigate the complaint and impose appropriate disciplinary sanctions, saying the case was filed to uphold constitutional governance, judicial impartiality and public trust in democratic institutions rather than for partisan purposes