Press Release
February 21, 2012

MANIFESTATION OF SENATOR JUDGE EDGARDO J. ANGARA ON ALLOWING OBJECTIONS TO JUDGES' QUESTIONS

"The Majority Leader is right. There is no ban, no prohibition against any of the lawyers objecting to a question. But it is in the form of the objection that lies the difference. We perhaps may not say, 'I object, Mr. Judge!' but we may say 'Mr. Judge, I find a reservation or an exception to that question because it tends to prejudice my client.'

"But I think for the sake of fairness, even for the perception of fairness, I think we ought to really allow any of the lawyers to make an exception rather than objecting verbally to a question from a Judge. Even in a Grand Jury, that is the procedure. In a grand jury, it is a free-for-all, can ask anything under the sun--leading questions, even misleading questions. But the lawyers can stand up and say, we make an exception to that--so that they can reserve the right to question it appeal.

"What I think the good distinguished jurist is intimating and suggesting that it would become a reversible error, or even a mistrial, now that is worse. We ought not to think at this stage of a mistrial. A procedure that will allow an appeal in every perceived reversible error, I think, it will prolong the political agony of this nation if every issue that one thinks is reversible can be questioned on appeal. So we also appeal to the lawyers in the same spirit as our presiding President when he said to go straight to the point. Wala nang paliku-liko, sapagkat naghihintay ang bansa."

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