Marcos Praises Diokno's Performance at Impeachment Trial

The Marcoses and Dioknos may have been political adversaries in the Philippines, but Majority Leader Sandro Marcos has publicly commended Akbayan Representative Chel Diokno for his performance in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Marcos, the President's son, stated on Monday, July 27, ahead of his father's State of the Nation Address, that "Congressman Chel Diokno is very good." He denied any behind-the-scenes involvement in the prosecution team's preparations, adding that the prosecutors are "brilliant in their own way." Marcos specifically singled out Diokno and lead prosecutor Jinky Luistro among the 11-man prosecution panel for their presentations. This commendation of Diokno by Sandro Marcos is notable given the historical animosity between their families. Chel Diokno's father, the late former Senator and Justice Secretary Jose W. Diokno, was a prominent critic of the martial law era under Sandro's grandfather, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. Jose Diokno spent nearly two years in detention without charge. After his release, Jose Diokno remained a political foe of the elder Marcos and became the founding chairman of the agency that preceded the current Commission on Human Rights after the 1986 EDSA Revolution. Sandro's acknowledgment of Chel's abilities today suggests that Diokno's sharp legal skills are undeniable, and that in politics, historical adversaries can sometimes find common ground against a common enemy.