Top litigation lawyer Benjamin S. Tolosa Jr. has been added to the private prosecution team in the Senate impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, where he will serve as legal spokesperson and later formally enter his appearance as private prosecutor.
The development was announced by lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro during a press briefing on the sidelines of the ongoing pre-trial conference.
Luistro said Tolosa will help communicate updates on the proceedings and later take an active role in the trial proper.
“We would like to introduce, of course, our legal spokesperson… Attorney Benjamin S. Tolosa Jr. 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.
“Attorney 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 added.
Tolosa said he considers the impeachment proceedings a key constitutional process and a significant accountability mechanism for public officials.
“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,” he said.
He added that he will also help relay timely updates from the courtroom during the proceedings.
“If there are quick updates that I need to communicate to the public and answer questions that you may have, I’ll be available and provide that information to you,” Tolosa said.
The House prosecution panel earlier named Reps. Zia Alonto Adiong and Renee Co as official spokespersons for the case.
Tolosa, founding and managing partner of Tolosa Lim & Chua Law Firm, has over 17 years of litigation experience handling civil, criminal, administrative, and regulatory disputes.
He previously worked at ACCRALAW and later served as counsel and general counsel for multinational and regional firms, representing corporate executives and public officials in high-value disputes.
The Senate impeachment court is currently conducting pre-trial proceedings focused on marking exhibits, resolving procedural issues, and preparing the case for trial proper.