OVP legal chief expelled from House panel hearing over refusal to take oath

Manila Bulletin

The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability was left with no choice but to expel on Monday, Nov. 11, the chief lawyer of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) after she refused to take oath during the panel’s ongoing investigation.  Emily Torrentira, the Legal Affairs Department Chief of the OVP, attended the hearing Monday morning to represent Vice President Sara Duterte’s office.  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/11/ovp-legal-chief-kicked-out-from-house-panel-hearing  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00I give your statements your honor it was requested that she would be giving her

00:04oath as well your honor your honor if I may respectfully

00:11please have me insert the oath first please raise your right hand do you

00:17swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth in this

00:20inquiry your honor I do the oath has been administered for the resource

00:27pursuance mr. Babo mr. tenido attorney Sanchez and miss Villadere however

00:33attorney Emily Torrentina refuses to take her oath your honors

00:46mr. chairman I'm just wondering why attorney what's the name of that that

00:52person attorney Emily her hand for the oath-taking can we ask her why she

01:03refuses to to take her oath

01:13okay but the don't lie anyone take no no your honor I am NOT refusing to take

01:18the oath prior to being asked to take the oath I was trying to explain your

01:24honor that I am NOT an invited resource person second that I've only been asked

01:30now to explain why there was no receipt for subpoena for the persons who are not

01:37present here that is what I am trying to say your honors respectfully I just

01:42wanted to explain that as part of the legal affairs division of the office I

01:49wanted to explain why we did not receive in accordance with the rules governing

01:56inquiries in aid of legislation where in the rules of court suppletorily applies

02:01rule 14 in relation to rule 21 of the rules of court your honors personal

02:08service must be made to our resource persons who are being issued subpoena

02:15with that your honor they being not present in the office at that time no

02:21person can receive on their behalf and that her hence there will be no proper

02:28service respectfully your honors

02:32well we we know that we know we accept that that guidelines know that you

02:42mentioned a while ago but you all know that this isn't an aid in aid of

02:47legislation and the reason why we are trying to course this invitation to the

02:55office of the president we discussed this lengthy already and the testimony

03:02of attorney Lopez is so important to us and also see behind and I think mr.

03:17chairman with this kind of explanation that being manifested by attorney

03:23Valentino Valentino as much as we accept that the premise of her but

03:32somehow we are all guided with moral decency know that some old son of my mom

03:41what did the pusses in a deep okay that's a people not then that it was in

03:50a subpoena in your mom in your mom mention a while ago but I think some

03:58outside and personally that that is not accepted and I'm just another attorney

04:05have somebody told you not to accept all those invitations no your honor it

04:11was a so it's it's in accordance with the rules your signature on Ernie

04:16abolition we will recognize you later because the people clean up take them

04:22out all in a bullet and you've already said your piece on this one may I ask a

04:30good attorney what is your role in this you are not invited but you are present

04:34and you never take a role why what is your presence mr. chair your honor I am

04:43the chief of legal affairs of the office of the vice president oh I am here to

04:48represent the institution your honor also you are here to represent the

04:52institution you should before talking you should take your oath because that

04:58is on record you're a lawyer you know that you cannot speak unless until you

05:06take your oath that's the rule in terms of these house and these committee you

05:15cannot speak unless you take your own or else I will move to excuse you it is

05:23your honor if I am a mr. chair point of order mr. chair what is your point of

05:34order yeah I take the position of congressman but one oh I really don't

05:40know why she's here has she forwarded any explanation written as to her

05:48attendance she was trying to tell us that she's the representative of the

05:56office of the price vice president and if you are the representative of the

06:00vice president you have this reason to take your oath as well but other than

06:07that mr. chair before we can even proceed to asking her to take her oath

06:15does she has she communicated officially to the committee that she is

06:20indeed representing the office of the vice president is there any letter that

06:25whereby attorney to the penal is given authority to represent the office of the

06:31vice president come check none your honor did you submit your authority if I

06:37may honor the speculation mr. chair can we just call for a five minute suspension

06:43of the vice president of the office of the vice president of the office of the

06:48vice president of the office of the vice president of the office of the

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Transcript

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