Dev Flores

Lead Public Prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro dismissed claims that she was outgunned or eaten alive by the defense team of VP Sara Duterte during the pre-trial, and called it fake news. 

“That is not true. I charge it to fake news, and the people should become very cautious now in watching from the social media,” she said

Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila De Lima stated that the spread of disinformation and attempts to mislead the public are expected to happen, especially when the trial proper begins.

“We can expect more of that, more of disinformation, more of fake news, more of factual distortion, spins of the real stories of the things that happened as the proceedings progress lalo na pagdating natin sa trial proper,” she said

Meanwhile, Legal Spokesperson Atty. Benjamin Tolosa mentioned that it is “factually impossible” for one side to have gained an upper hand, as the clerk of the impeachment court cannot make any rulings.

“To say that you got the upper hand, it should mean that you are able to get favorable rulings on your part. But that's impossible. Why? Because the clerk of the impeachment court cannot even make any rulings. So that's factually impossible,” he said

Watch the full livestream of the conference here:

Lead Public Prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro denies the claims that she was ‘eaten’ alive by the defense panel of Vice President Sara Duterte during the pre-trial conference.

Luistro dismissed the rumors and called it fake news. She also urged the public to be cautious about the content that they are watching on social media.

“That is not true. I charge it to fake news, and the people should become very cautious now in watching from the social media. We  should be careful in deciphering what is correct and what is false,” she said

Legal Spokesperson Atty. Benjamin Tolosa explained that it would have been ‘factually impossible’ for the defense panel to gain an advantage as the clerk impeachment court cannot make any rulings.

“So, to properly address that, let's stick to the facts. Okay? When you say ‘kinain, nagkalamunan, what does that mean? It means someone got an upper hand compared to the other,” he said

“To say that you got the upper hand, it should mean that you are able to get favorable rulings on your part. But that's impossible. Why? Because the clerk of the impeachment court cannot even make any rulings. So that's factually impossible,” he added

Watch the full livestream of the conference here:

The House Prosecution panel has officially introduced Atty. Benjamin Tolosa Jr. as its new legal spokesperson.

Atty. Tolosa was introduced during a conference led by Lead Public Prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro.

Tolosa clarified that Lanao Del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong and Kabataan Party-list Representative Renee Co will remain as House Trial Spokesperson of the prosecution team.

“I will focus on acting as spokesperson, but of course, the main spokespersons will still be Congressman Adiong  and Co,” he said

He explained that his role as a spokesperson is to deliver quick updates needed by the public once the trial proceeds officially.

“Main purpose, I guess for me is since I will be actively participating the trial as well and I'll be inside the courtroom if there are quick updates that I need to communicate to the public and answer your questions that you may have. I'll be available and provide that information to you,” he said

Aside from the designation as legal spokesperson, Rep. Luistro revealed that Atty. Tolosa will also be included in the lineup of private prosectors. 

“Atty. Tolosa is not only a legal spokesperson. Soon, he will be entering his appearance as well as one of the private prosecutors. So indeed he will be participating actively in the trial,” SHE SAID

Atty. Tolosa is a founding and managing partner of the Tolosa Javier Lim & Chua Law Firm. 

Watch the full livestream of the conference here:

Have you ever heard the word “VISHING”?

Vishing or voice phishing scam is a type of scam that utilizes phone calls and social engineering tactics to deceive the victims.

In light of this, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG) is warning the public to remain vigilant against this fraudulent scheme.

According to the PNP, the red flags or signs indicating you may be targeted by a vishing scam include:

• Humihingi ng sensitibong impormasyon

[Requesting sensitive information.]

• Nagpapanggap na para sa “verification”

[Posing as a representative conducting account verification.”]

• Gumagamit ng pekeng caller ID

[“Using fake caller ID.]

• Nananakot o nagpi-pressure

[“Employing threats and pressure.”]

• Nag-uutos ng agarang money transfer

[“Demanding immediate money transfer.]

• Nag-aalok ng napakagandang oportunidad

[“Offering good opportunities”]

The PNP advises the public to refrain from giving immediate trust to unexpected phone calls. They also urge the public to protect their personal and financial information, as these can be weaponized by scammers to execute vishing attacks.

Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon discovered an incomplete drainage project inside the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital (UP PGH).

This discovery followed an inspection conducted by the DWPH in response to the flooding reported both inside and outside the PGH building. 

“You know, our people don't deserve this. Sabi nga ni Pangulo, our people deserve better than this. Hospital to e. PGH to eh. Kaya sinasabihan ko yung kontratista. Sabi ko, “Nakikita mo ba 'yung mga tao dito? Hindi ka ba—wala ka man lang malasakit?  Yung delay na na kino-cause mo, yung hirap na kino-cause mo dito sa mga pasyente dito," Sec. Dizon said

[“You know, our people don't deserve this. As the President said, our people deserve better than this. This is a hospital. This is PGH. That’s why I called out the contractor. I told him ‘Do you see the people here? Don’t you have even a shred of compassion? Look at the delays and the hardships you are causing to the patients here.”]

The project began in December 2024, but progress is still at only 17%. 

Hence, the Secretary gave an urgency to complete the project by the end of June. However, a failure to complete the project may lead to the cancellation of the contract and the possibility of filing a charge against them, says the department.

With reports from Asher Cadapan Jr.

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