Claire Castro: 'Misleading questions' not allowed during cross-examination

Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro on Thursday said that it is a basic knowledge among lawyers that misleading questions are not allowed during cross examination.

Castro, a lawyer herself, said this when asked for a comment regarding the heated exchange between the prosecution and defense panels regarding misleading questions on the 15th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“As a lawyer, basic. This is so basic. Misleading questions are not allowed, especially during cross-examination,” she said.

“Bakit? Kasi if you will ask misleading questions and you will just demand an answer--na yes or no, nothing more, nothing less---it will definitely give also a wrong answer,” she added.

During the impeachment trial on Wednesday, presiding officer Francis Escudero called on private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan and defense counsel Kristine Ferrer to temper their words, saying their apparent generational gap should not fuel tension in the proceedings.

This came after the two female lawyers exchanged words regarding the limitations on cross-examination, particularly regarding the use of misleading questions.

Duterte’s lead counsel Sheila Sison later condemned a social media post made by private prosecutor Armando Ligutan regarding misleading questions while the impeachment trial was ongoing.

Ligutan, in response, said that his intentions were not malicious.

Asked if she thinks the instance was part of the strategy of the defense, Castro said, “Ayoko mag-judge sa style ng mga lawyers. So respeto ko na lang sa kanila ‘yun.”

(I don’t want to judge the lawyers' style out of respect to them.)

The Palace official, however, said that if Ferrer was misinterpreted, she should have corrected her statement right away.

“Alam mo sa isang lawyer, dapat matalas ang tenga mo. Isang mali mo lang talaga diyan, talagang mare-retain sa’yo ‘yan,” Castro said.

(You know, lawyers should have sharp ears. Commit just one mistake there, and that will be remembered.)

“Again, I don't want to judge any comment made by the lawyers, pero mas mainam, kung marami nang nag-react…right then and there, sana kinorrect na niya. Siya na mismo ang nag-correct,” she added.

(Again, I don’t want to judge any comment made by the lawyers, but it would be better, since many already reacted, that right then and there, she should have corrected it herself.) —AOL, GMA News