House panel urges protection of impeachment evidence after Senate hack incident

The House Prosecution Panel has asked the Senate and several government agencies to ensure the safety and security of the pieces of evidence it submitted to the Senate for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The call was made on Thursday when a group admitted to hacking the Senate website, and days after the National Bureau of Investigation revealed a security threat against the Senate building and its premises.

"You know, it's hard to speculate if this is connected to the impeachment trial. But what is clear is that we already have a schedule for our first pre-trial conference on June 18, which is this coming Thursday," House lead impeachment prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said at a press conference.

"So I wish to express my concern about the security and safety of those who will be joining the filing of the pre-trial brief on Monday, and those who will be joining the conduct of the pre-trial conference on Thursday, as well as all the senators, even the defense team, and the officials and employees of the Senate who are staying in the premises," she added.

Luistro called on the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, and the Philippine National Police to ensure the safety and security of the Senate and its premises.

"If this is connected to the impeachment trial, then we have more reason to make sure that this will be addressed because this is a very significant process. This is a constitutional process that concerns the interests of every Filipino across the world," Luistro said.

"So whether connected or not, sana ay tutukan po ito ng ating mga katuwang sa paglilingkod mula sa law enforcement agencies," she added.

The House of Representatives is also providing security for the prosecutors, as well as the prosecution's witnesses and evidence.

"Well, the leadership actually initiated the communication already about providing the necessary security to all the prosecutors, considering the report of the NBI, the hacking of the Senate official website," Luistro said.

"And of course, apart from this, we express likewise our concern in securing, as well, our witnesses and the evidence to be presented. And there are ongoing communications already in order to address that," she added.

Private Prosecutor Atty Lorna Kapunan echoed Luistro's concern.

"It's a real concern as practicing lawyers... So we echo the concern of our head public prosecutor, Ma'am Jinky, that there should be measures to protect our documents kasi na-transmit lahat," Kapunan said.

"Speaking from an evidence point of view, we have to safeguard our evidence because the evidence from the House has been transmitted already," she added.

"Most of our documentary evidence has been transmitted to the Senate, and in the pre-trial, that will happen where the pre-trial order says there will be pre-marking of documentary exhibits. We have a room full of documentary exhibits, literally and figuratively," Kapunan said.

"We hope, well, we trust, that the Senate will provide protection, not only, especially for our people, but as well for the evidence in the impeachment case," she added. –NB, GMA News