Women's groups file ethics complaint vs. Senator Pia Cayetano over 'spliced' impeachment trial video

Several women's rights advocates, academics, and civil society leaders on Wednesday filed an ethics complaint against Senator Pia Cayetano, accusing her of sharing a misleading, spliced video of Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno while serving as a senator-judge in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The complainants urged the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Cayetano and impose appropriate sanctions, arguing that her social media post compromised the impartiality expected of members of the impeachment court.

“Naniniwala kami na dapat imbestigahan ang ginawang pag-post ni Senator Pia ng spliced video during an impeachment trial process," EveryWoman representative Juanna Caumeran told reporters.

"Naniniwala kami na ito ay hindi magandang conduct, hindi tamang conduct ng isang senador, lalong-lalo na ng isang senator-judge sa isang ongoing impeachment trial,” she added.

“Nananawagan kami sa Ethics Committee na simulan na ang imbestigasyon at kung kinakailangang patawan ng karampartang parusa ang senadora sa kaniyang ginawang pag-post ng official FB page nya ng spliced video,” Caumeran said.

Cayetano declined to comment on the complaint.

In their filing, the complainants argued that Cayetano's actions violated the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability and breached the constitutional oath taken by senator-judges to render "impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws of the Philippines."

They further said reposting the edited video undermined public confidence in the neutrality of the impeachment court and threatened public trust in both the Senate and the impeachment process.

The complaint was filed by former Commission on Higher Education Chair Patricia "Tatti" Licuanan, University of the Philippines-Diliman professor and EveryWoman co-convenor Jean Franco, Maria Cristy Balleras, Jocelyn Gerldino, Janette Balanguit and Estrella Soriana of the Parents Initiative and Social Awareness Mainstreaming Advocacy (PINASAMA), Hammimah Sarip Kalaw of the Sanctuary Network, Joahna Marie Dela Cruz of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Public Administration Student Council, Edrianna Villaruz of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, Joanna Marie Caumeran of EveryWoman, Oliva Solis of the District Wide Advocates Quezon City (DIWA), and Lourdes Magtibay of Pandayan Para sa Sosyalistang Pilipinas (PANDAYAN).

Senate Ethics Committee Chair Vicente "Tito" Sotto III said the panel would take up the complaint on Aug. 6, stressing that the ethics case is separate from the ongoing impeachment proceedings.

The controversy stemmed from a video posted by Cayetano that contained edited portions of an exchange between Diokno, a House prosecutor in the impeachment trial, and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. According to the complainants, the edited clip made it appear that the House prosecution was merely hoping to uncover evidence against Duterte through a "fishing expedition."

They argued that the full exchange showed Diokno explaining the legal concept of a fishing expedition and why he believed it did not apply to the House prosecution's case, a context they said was omitted in the edited video.