From ‘scam’ to ‘Andy Lim’: Lorna Kapunan’s impeachment trial masterclass

In the waning seconds of a near two-day-long direct examination of a state auditor in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, veteran lawyer and private counsel for the prosecution Lorna Kapunan on Tuesday, August 4, managed to squeeze in one more zinger: that the impeached Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds was a “scam.” Kapunan, one of several private counsels for the prosecution, had been asking state auditor Roderick Wamil about the conclusions of his audit on the confidential funds of both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education under Duterte. Citing a 2015 joint circular that covers the auditing of confidential funds, Kapunan asked if the apparent failure of Duterte, as chief of the two agencies, to properly liquidate a bulk of confidential funds allocated to her was “prima facie evidence that he has put such missing funds or property to personal use and benefit.” “[There is a] presumption that the fund was converted into personal use or benefit,” he added in a mix of English and Filipino. Michael Poa, Duterte’s counsel, immediately objected, since the the Commission on Audit’s (COA) final say, at least on the 2023 funds, was still pending. Before Senator Francis Escudero could make a ruling as presiding officer, Kapunan quickly but calmly added, “Your honor, please, ang tawag ko lang d’on, hindi prima facie evidence…. Kung ako ang tatanungin, scam ito (Your honor, in my view, this is not prima facie evidence…. If you ask me, this is a scam).” Without missing a beat, Poa moved to strike Kapunan’s claim off the court’s records — a move Escudero just as quickly acceded to. Yet its impact was apparent in no time at all. In media interviews and pronouncements, prosecution spokespersons repeated Kapunan’s line and conclusion. “‘Yung sinasabing huwag mo nang tanuning [‘yan] kasi confidential ito — isa ito sa characteristics sa sinasabi [ni Kapunan na] scam. I think that’s the reason why [Kapunan] summed it up in one word kasi kumbaga, nandoon ‘yung effort at intention na maabuso itong confidential funds,” said prosecution spokesperson Lanao del Norte 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong. Other talking heads for the prosecution panel were just as quick to echo Kapunan’s quip. (That part where they say you don’t have to ask because this is confidential — this is one of the characteristics of what Kapunan calls a scam. I think that’s the reason why Kapunan summed it up in one word, because the effort and intention to abuse the confidential funds were there.) It was only one of several asides and commentaries Kapunan unleashed during her turn to hold a direct examination of a prosecution witness. From August 3 to 4, Kapunan steered Wamil into explaining, sometimes repetitively or in excruciating detail, the process of liquidating funds under rules that are both secretive and stringent. But the veteran lawyer also took time to inject levity and humor into the drear of hours-long hearings. In an interview with Rappler shortly after the trial was suspended for the day, Adiong was quick to concur with the idea of Kapunan showing off a masterclass as she took her turn in court. Puns, there were a few It was on August 3, the 11th day of trial, when the prosecution finally introduced to the court a name that had long become a viral butt of jokes: Mary Grace Piattos, the supposed recipient of P70,000 reward in medicines from the OVP’s confidential funds. Kapunan did not stop there. The lawyer made quips on select names of recipients of the confidential funds who supposedly issued acknowledgement receipts. There was little space for wit with the name “Mico Harina,” although Kapunan made it a point to say the name repeatedly. For a certain “Janice Marie Revilla,” the lawyer asked a serious Wamil if they were able to check any relation to former senator Bong Revilla. Kapunan seemingly had the most fun with “Andy C. Lim” and “Alejandro Pikit” as she joked that it was dark (Andy Lim sounds like “ang dilim,” Filipino for “it’s dark”) because one’s eyes were closed (pikit is Filipino for the closing of eyes). “Andy Lim” briefly featured again on Tuesday’s trial, right as Kapunan asked Wamil to read a document. Less serious quips have also elicited laughter from impeachment trial audiences. On Monday, Kapunan asked Escudero for a minutes-long pause in the trial. When asked why, she said it was for the counsels to confer — and so she could take a break and sit down. It’s serious, too Kapunan is arguably the biggest star in an ensemble prosecution team. A veteran lawyer who’s also represented the biggest and most controversial Filipino celebrities of past and present, she’s certainly no stranger to the glare of Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. It could also be argued that at her age and at this point in her legal career, there is little Kapunan needs to prove. In an interview back in 2025, when the House first impeached Duterte, the lawyer said she wanted to be part of the “trial of the century” out of “duty to stand for what is right.” She brought with her that same righteousness amid her levity on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters right after her comment was stricken off record, Kapunan likened Duterte’s use of her confidential funds to a child misusing the money of a parent. “‘Pag paulit-ulit-ulit ‘yan, at hindi mo ginamit ang pera na sinabi mong gagamitin, e, ang tawag do’n, scam. Pero ang iniiscam, taong-bayan. Ang worth ng scam na ‘yan, P612.5 million…. Gusto ko lang sabihin ‘yun para maintindihan natin,” she said. (If it’s done over and over again, and you use the money differently from what’s intended, that’s a scam. But this time, you’re scamming the public. This scam is worth P612.5 million…. I just wanted to say that out loud so we all understand what’s happening.) She also called out the names in the acknowledgement receipts from the OVP. “Binubudol tayo. Ang daming mga pangalan — Mary Grace Piattos, si Dilim, si Pikit (They’re fooling us. Just think about those names — Mary Grace Piattos, Dilim, Pikit),” she said. But Kapunan was quick to point out that it’s not about the ridiculousness of the names, but the lack of documentation as flagged by the COA itself. After hours of direct examination and the defense’s cross-examination, Kapunan had more than a little fire in her left. As Poa objected to her questions during the prosecution’s recross-examination, a deadpan Kapunan would just as quickly rebut: “[Poa] opened the door!” The prosecution hopes those doors lead to a better understanding of their case against Duterte, not just by senator-judges but also the public at large. “She did not only speak to the judges, but she also spoke directly to the people. She was able to narrate the presentation in a way that it became a story, a narrative that the public can more easily understand…that there was really that effort to abuse public funds, Source: Rappler Philippines