VETERAN trial lawyer, women’s rights advocate and one of the country’s most recognizable litigators Lorna Patajo-Kapunan has entered her appearance as a private prosecutor in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, leading an 10-lawyer team drawn from established litigation firms.
Joining Kapunan as private prosecutors are Sonya Margarita Benemerito-Castillo, Deanna Melissa S. Lorenzo-Singian, Lino Chris P. Kapunan and Bettina N. Zamora of Kapunan & Castillo Law Offices; Amando Virgil D. Ligutan of SALiGAL Law; and Marforth T. Fua, Erwin G. Matib, Justine Anne L. Lamarca and James Bryan Ibrahim A. Alih of PECABAR Law.
Kapunan, senior partner and founder of Kapunan & Castillo Law Offices, brings to the prosecution panel nearly five decades of law practice across criminal litigation, corporate law, intellectual property, family law, commercial transactions, international humanitarian law and public interest advocacy.
Widely known for handling high-profile cases and for her work on women’s and children’s rights, environmental protection, public accountability and civic causes, Kapunan adds both courtroom weight and public stature to the private prosecution team.
Her law practice has covered some of the most closely watched disputes in the country, while her broader legal work has placed her in the fields of corporate governance, arts and culture, humanitarian law, intellectual property and rights-based advocacy.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte after securing the required vote to transmit the case to the Senate, setting in motion a trial that could decide whether she will remain in office and whether she may still hold public office in the future.
The proceedings are expected to test not only the strength of the articles of impeachment but also the Senate’s capacity to sit as an impeachment court amid questions of leadership, procedure and political will.
Joining Kapunan from the Kapunan & Castillo Law Offices are senior partner Castillo, junior partner Singian, managing partner Lino Chris Kapunan and co-managing partner Zamora.
Castillo has handled litigation, labor, family, criminal, intellectual property, immigration and land registration matters, while Lorenzo-Singian’s practice covers litigation, family and estate law, corporate law, civil and commercial law, arbitration, environmental law and labor law.
Lino Chris Kapunan specializes in civil, criminal, corporate and intellectual property litigation, while Zamora’s practice includes civil and criminal litigation, family and estate law, environmental law and labor law.
Also entering appearance is Ligutan, managing partner of Cebu-based SALiGAL Law and lead counsel of the third impeachment complaint against Duterte.
Ligutan, a seasoned court litigator and law professor, has handled high-profile cases and teaches law at the University of the Philippines College of Law, University of San Jose-Recoletos School of Law and University of Cebu School of Law.
PECABAR Law, formerly Ponce Enrile Reyes & Manalastas, is fielding managing partner Fua, Matib, Lamarca and Alih.
Fua, an eighth-placer in the 2007 Bar examinations, has spent his career in litigation and became PECABAR Law’s managing partner in 2023 after rising through the ranks of the firm.
Matib brings experience in mediation, arbitration and litigation, including complex criminal cases involving graft and corruption, bank fraud and other white-collar offenses.
Lamarca heads PECABAR Law’s Litigation and Retainer Departments and has represented clients in criminal, civil, commercial and family law disputes.
Alih is part of the firm’s Litigation Department, focusing on criminal and civil litigation, including complex cases involving fraud, graft and corruption.
The entry of the 10 private lawyers adds a formidable legal bench to the impeachment prosecution, combining veteran trial advocacy, anti-corruption litigation, corporate disputes, public accountability work and courtroom experience across several generations of practitioners.
