House prosecution panel names legal spokesperson for VP Sara trial

THE House prosecution panel has designated veteran trial lawyer Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. as its legal spokesperson and one of the private prosecutors who will actively participate in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.

House lead prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro introduced Tolosa during Monday’s press briefing following the continuation of pre-trial proceedings before the Senate impeachment court.

Luistro said Tolosa will serve as the panel’s legal spokesperson and help communicate developments in the impeachment proceedings to the public.

“As legal spokesperson, he will be speaking on behalf of the prosecution team, particularly with respect to the developments that are happening in the proceedings of the impeachment trial,” Luistro said.

She added that Tolosa will provide updates from inside the courtroom as the case moves from pre-trial to the formal presentation of evidence beginning July 6.

Tolosa, for his part, said he accepted the role because of the importance of the impeachment process as a constitutional accountability mechanism.

“As we all know, the impeachment is a pivotal constitutional proceeding. In fact, it’s one of the most important accountability mechanisms for public officials under the Constitution,” Tolosa said.

“So as a trial lawyer, I found it to be a meaningful opportunity to place my experience in the service of that process.”

The veteran litigator said his immediate role is to help explain developments in the proceedings while remaining actively involved in the trial itself.

Luistro later clarified that Tolosa’s role goes beyond serving as the prosecution panel’s legal spokesperson.

“Attorney Jay 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,” Luistro said.

The House prosecution panel has enlisted a team of private lawyers to assist the 11-member panel of public prosecutors in the impeachment proceedings.

Tolosa is the founding and managing partner of the Tolosa, Lim and Chua law firm and heads its Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice, where he oversees a team of more than 25 lawyers handling complex and high-stakes disputes.

Before establishing his own law firm, he served as a senior associate at the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRA) Law Offices, where he represented major corporations, senior executives and public officials in complex and high-value disputes.

He also serves as counsel to multinational corporations and major business groups, including the Philippine affiliate of a Fortune Global 500 company and a regional conglomerate involved in the retail and distribution of premium global brands.

Tolosa has been recognized by legal ranking organizations AsiaLaw Profiles and Legal 500 Asia Pacific and was named an Outstanding Thomasian Lawyer by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Law Alumni Foundation.

Tolosa earned his law degree from UST, where he ranked among the top 10 students in his graduating class. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Legal Management from the same university.

The impeachment trial is scheduled to begin on July 6 following the completion of pre-trial proceedings.