TRENDING: Atty. Lorna Kapunan's witty one-liners, zingers during Sara Duterte's impeachment trial
The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is usually marked by the spouting of legal terms and the presentation of (sometimes) overwhelming records, especially as the court tackles the first article of impeachment on confidential funds. Amid the serious proceedings, some light-hearted moments delighted social media users who tuned in closely.
Most of these came from private prosecutor Atty. Lorna Kapunan, a veteran lawyer who not only examined witnesses with wit but also amused the public with her zingers.
Tackling acknowledgment receipts
On Aug. 3, Kapunan questioned prosecution witness ex-Commission on Audit - Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office state auditor Roderick Wamil about acknowledgment receipts submitted by the Office of the Vice President. These documents in question indicated payments to certain Mary Grace Piattos, Andy Lim, Mico Harina, and Janice Marie Revilla, among others.
The private prosecutor pondered the identity of Janice Marie Revilla and asked Wamil: "Na-investigate mo ba kung kamag-anak 'to ni [dating] senator Bong Revilla, Mr. Witness?"
Wamil answered that this is beyond the scope of the audit.
Kapunan continued to deliver one-liners regarding the names in the acknowledgment receipts.
"Andy Lim. Ah. Andilim! Kaya ko pala hindi mabasa, andilim," she said before the defense's Atty. Michael Poa made an objection, calling out her "coloring" of the content of the documents.
"It's the way it sounds, your honor. It's like Patty Ting; it's the way it's spelled. And the next one, maybe you'll object again: Alejandro A. Pikit. I was gonna say, kaya siguro madilim eh pikit ang mata.
But before the sample of the 845 acknowledgment receipts was shown to Wamil, Kapunan requested to call for a three-minute recess. Her reason led even Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero to chuckle.
"So he can go over the folders, and so I can sit down," she said as she appeared to reach for her chair.
A reminder to Wamil
Meanwhile, on Aug. 4, Kapunan amused social media users anew with her advice to Wamil, who was being cross-examined by Poa about whether his audit findings stated that "even a centavo" of the confidential funds went to Duterte's pocket.
"Asked and answered, your honor," Kapunan interjected as Poa ended his question.
Wamil began to explain that this was a presumption, but the prosecutor stopped him. "Ah wait. Don't answer. Huy!" she said as she waved him off. Escudero and other people in the audience could be heard laughing in the background.
The Day 12 proceedings also began with a light-hearted moment, as the Senate impeachment court celebrated tennis star Alex Eala's first WTA title after winning the Mubadala DC Open.
"Even though our views may differ and although both sides are opposing each other in the impeachment court, there are things we should all agree on and unite behind—especially for those who stayed up late last night watching TV. For me, one of those is the victory and championship of our talented and courageous fellow Filipino, Alex Eala, at the DC Open," Escudero said.
The Odyssey mention
Kapunan again got in some zingers on Aug. 5 as the prosecution presented the next witness, COA-ICFAO state auditor Xylene del Campo, along with stipulations.
The veteran lawyer listed the documents the defense counsel refused to stipulate on, including 4,492 documents submitted by the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education while Duterte was secretary contained in 15 boxes.
"Hindi mo naman kami siguro tinatakot, Atty. Kapunan?" Escudero said.
"Ay, hindi po!" she responded.
As Kapunan went through the stipulations, Defense counsel Atty. Kristine Ferrer made a comment about how the prosecution should establish the competence of the witness to identify the documents.
"Your honor, we will not proceed with the other stipulations because counsel does not seem to be in the mood to stipulate this afternoon," Kapunan said.
"It has no relation with mood, counsel," Escudero answered her with a smile.
Kapunan drew laughs anew when she answered Ferrer's manifestation about del Campo. The defense counsel said the witness was "merely flipping the pages without comparing the acknowledgment receipts with the list."
"Your honor, we are tempted to make a counter-manifestation because these manifestations are because of their own doing," Kapunan said.
Escudero followed this with a plea: "I hope you won't give in to the temptation, counsel," he said.
"I will not, your honor. It's the wisdom of age. I will not," she answered and laughed.
However, this did not take long, as the defense opposed Del Campo's examination of documents outside of the court.
"With due indulgence, your honor. Now, I will give in to temptation," Kapunan said, adding that the defense counsel should have examined the copies of the documents, which were acknowledgment receipts, during pre-trial.
As arguments regarding the prosecution's and the defense's copies of acknowledgment receipts, Kapunan proposed a solution: "We will use their documents. Because we are certain that their documents are the same as our documents. Let's use the defense's documents, your honor."
There, in fact, was a reason behind this.
Nakuha nyo pika ni Atty. Kapunan today!!! 😂
— Daniel B. Bautista (@bautistadanielb) August 5, 2026
Manonood pa kasi sya ng Odyssey!!! 🤣#VPonTrial#ImpeachmentTrial https://t.co/CkZcP0qRzK pic.twitter.com/GrTbYhLx00
"Huwag na tayong mag-compare-compare. Thursday, Friday manonood pa ako ng Odyssey," Kapunan said, referring to Christopher Nolan's latest film.
Del Campo will return on Aug. 10 to take the witness stand anew.
