MANILA, Philippines — After telling the prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte not to be "one-sided," Sen. Robin Padilla on Saturday reminded them of their duty to ensure that justice was served, and not merely to secure a conviction.
Padilla issued the statement following comments from several media personalities regarding his statements on the role of the prosecution in pursuing truth and justice.
"The primary duty of a public prosecutor is not to convict, but to see that justice is done," Padilla said in statement.
The senator said that sending someone to prison should never be treated as a “trophy” or a badge of honor.
He said the justice system bears a far greater responsibility when an innocent person was deprived of liberty because securing a conviction was valued more than the fair pursuit of the truth.
"The imprisonment of an innocent person is the gravest violation of both God’s law and the laws of the people," he added.
