MISLEADING: Luistro admits presenting ‘fake evidence’ to Court, with Escudero confirming it

Philip Gabriel Caysido

A YouTube video circulating online claims that House Prosecutor Gerville “Jinky” Luistro admits that “fake evidence” was presented before the Impeachment Court and that Senate Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero confirmed it.

CLAIM

The video presents a portion of the Day 9 Impeachment trial showing Defense counsel Atty. Mark Vinluan’s cross-examination of witness NBI Director Melvin Matibag, while concluding that House Prosecutor Gerville “Jinky” Luistro admitted to presenting “fake evidence” and that Senate Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero confirmed it. 

Furthermore, the video relied on selected excerpts from the Day 9 trial, cross-examination of NBI Director Melvin Matibag, without presenting the full context of the exchange.

RATING: MISLEADING

CONCLUSION

There is no official record from the Day 9 impeachment proceedings showing that House Prosecutor Gerville “Jinky” Luistro admitted to presenting “fake evidence” or that Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero confirmed such a claim. During the cross-examination of NBI Director Melvin Matibag, the defense objected to the document being presented after questioning whether it matched the version previously identified. However, this objection did not indicate a judicial finding that the evidence was fake.

THE FACTS:

• No official statement or verified record from Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero was found confirming that the evidence presented before the Impeachment Court was “fake.” 
• During cross-examination, Defense counsel Atty. Vinluan pointed out that the document being shown by NBI Director Melvin Matibag did not exactly match the version that had been previously identified, and he questioned its admissibility, which was a procedural objection raised by the defense and not a judicial finding that the document was “fake”
• No official record of House Prosecutor Gerville “Jinky” Luistro admitting that the evidence was fake, as the dispute focused on whether the correct copy had been marked and presented.
• No official transcript or ruling from the Day 9 proceedings in which the Impeachment Court found that the documentary evidence was fake or fabricated. 

THE BOTTOMLINE

The YouTube video is misleading as it misrepresents a procedural exchange during the Day 9 impeachment trial. While the video cites the cross-examination of NBI Director Melvin Matibag by Defense counsel Atty. Mark Vinluan, the official record does not show that Luistro admitted the evidence was fake, and that Escudero made such a finding, which may mislead the public.