Bernie Anabo Jr.
There are moments in a courtroom when lawyers argue over facts.
And then there are moments when someone simply stands up and says: ENOUGH. THE LAW IS THE LAW.
That was Atty. Amando Virgil Ligutan on August 26.
And frankly, somebody had to say it.
Ligutan did not walk into the Senate impeachment court to pick a personal fight. He did not name names. He did not launch a personal attack.
He defended something far more important: the integrity of the Rules of Court.
The controversy began after defense counsel Kristine Ferrer reportedly claimed that misleading questions are “allowed” during cross-examination.
Ligutan, a lawyer and law professor of nearly two decades, responded publicly with what he presented as a basic evidentiary principle:
«“Misleading questions are NOT allowed even on cross-examination.”»
That should have been the end of the story.
Correct the mistake. Move on.
But NO.
Instead of simply addressing the legal issue, the defense turned the spotlight toward Ligutan himself—questioning his conduct, invoking courtroom decorum and even throwing the word “humility” into the argument.
And that is where the defense, in my view, badly miscalculated.
Because they picked the wrong lawyer to lecture about humility.
LIGUTAN: “DON’T MAKE THIS PERSONAL.”
Ligutan’s response was devastating precisely because he refused to make it personal.
He made the issue about the law.
“I shall not name names. I will not put you on the spot. But the post is not about you. It’s not personal, it is about the law that we all adhere to.”
BOOM!
There it was.
No theatrics.
No personal naming-and-shaming.
Just the law.
The irony is difficult to miss: a lawyer posts a reminder about an evidentiary rule, and suddenly the discussion becomes about the lawyer who posted it.
Why?
If the legal principle is wrong, prove it wrong.
If the rule permits misleading questions in the circumstances being discussed, cite the rule.
If Ligutan misstated the law, correct the law.
But attacking the messenger does not erase the message.
THE “PROBINSYANO” MOMENT
Then came Ligutan’s most powerful punch.
«“Being a probinsyano… born without a famous family name who had to compete for his spot, I know a thing or two about humility. The defense cannot lecture me on humility.”»
That was not arrogance.
That was a man defending his credibility.
Ligutan essentially said: I earned my place. I know what humility costs. Don’t weaponize the word against me simply because I corrected a legal proposition.
And that distinction matters.
Humility does not mean remaining silent when something is legally incorrect.
Humility means having the courage to admit when you are wrong.
That cuts both ways.
THE REAL ISSUE: CAN LAWYERS ADMIT A MISTAKE?
Ligutan hit the heart of the controversy when he argued:
«“What is more troubling is for the defense not to admit their mistake and instead call out a lawyer, a teacher, who just stated what is correct…”»
That is the bombshell.
Because the bigger question is no longer about one Facebook post.
It is about professional accountability.
In the legal profession, mistakes happen.
Lawyers are human.
But when a legal error is pointed out, the honorable response is not to attack the person who identified it.
The honorable response is:
“You’re right. We stand corrected.”
Period.
No drama.
No wounded pride.
No sermon about humility.
No attempt to turn a legal correction into a character issue.
AND THEN CAME CHIZ
This is where Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero enters the picture.
Rather than allowing the controversy to remain where it belonged—the legal issue—Escudero reportedly focused on procedural and decorum considerations, including telling Ligutan to “unbundle and decouple” his role as an educator from his role in the impeachment proceedings.
With due respect, that approach deserves scrutiny.
Because there is a fundamental difference between being discourteous and being correct.
Courtroom decorum is important.
But decorum should never become a shield against legitimate legal criticism.
If the argument is about the Rules of Court, then let the Rules of Court answer.
Not wounded egos.
Not political sensitivities.
Not courtroom theatrics.
THE LAW.
LIGUTAN DID WHAT A LAW PROFESSOR SHOULD DO
Atty. Amando Ligutan deserves credit for one thing above all:
He refused to be bullied into silence.
He stood behind the legal principle he believed to be correct.
He explained himself.
He did not hide behind a famous surname.
He did not retreat because the other side was politically powerful.
And he did not allow the word “humility” to be transformed into a weapon against intellectual honesty.
That takes courage.
Especially inside a politically charged impeachment proceeding where every word can become ammunition.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT PRIDE
2:54 PM
Edited
INSIGHTS
By: Dr. Bernie Anabo Jr.
POM Salutes Its Veterans: Torralba, Ricarte and Cabigon Lead Retirement Honors
The Bureau of Customs–Port of Manila (BOC-POM) is sending a powerful message: service may end with retirement, but dedication to the Filipino people never goes unrecognized.
In a fitting tribute to public servants who spent decades inside the demanding world of Customs, POM honored its August retirees—Ms. Maria Raquel B. Rañeses, who rendered 22 years of service, and Mr. Justino N. Nanao, Jr., who gave an extraordinary 41 years to government service.
And behind this meaningful recognition stood the POM leadership team led by District Collector Rizalino Jose C. Torralba, with Deputy Collector for Assessment Florante P. Ricarte and Deputy Collector for Administration Marilou A. Cabigon.
This was not merely another ceremony.
This was POM saluting the people who helped carry the Bureau through four decades of public service.
TORRALBA: LEADERSHIP THAT REMEMBERS
Under Collector RJ Torralba, the recognition of retiring personnel goes beyond handing over certificates and plaques.
It sends a clear signal that people matter.
In an institution where frontline officers face pressure, deadlines, difficult assessments, enforcement challenges and the relentless demands of revenue collection, remembering those who have served for decades is a mark of leadership.
Torralba, together with his deputy collectors, personally helped honor the retirees—putting a human face on an agency often measured by billions in collections and countless enforcement operations.
Revenue is important. Performance is important. But people who built the institution are important, too.
RICARTE: ASSESSMENT WITH A HUMAN FACE
Deputy Collector for Assessment Florante P. Ricarte likewise deserves the spotlight.
Assessment is one of the critical engines of Customs operations. It requires accuracy, discipline and accountability because every decision can have an impact on government revenue and legitimate trade.
But during the retirement recognition, Ricarte stood not simply as an assessment official.
He stood as a colleague honoring colleagues.
That matters.
An institution becomes stronger when technical excellence is matched by respect for the people who spent their careers serving it.
CABIGON: ADMINISTRATION THAT VALUES ITS PEOPLE
Deputy Collector for Administration Marilou A. Cabigon also played a key role in the tribute.
Administration is sometimes treated as the quiet machinery behind the scenes.
But without competent administration, even the strongest frontline operation can stumble.
Cabigon’s presence in the retirement ceremony underscored an important principle: the welfare, dignity and contribution of personnel must never be treated as an afterthought.
The Bureau needs people who can collect.
It needs people who can enforce.
It needs people who can assess.
But it also needs leaders who understand that every Customs employee is part of the institution’s story.
RANESES: 22 YEARS OF SERVICE
For Maria Raquel B. Rañeses, retirement closes a remarkable 22-year chapter of public service.
Twenty-two years is not just a number.
It represents thousands of working days, countless transactions, responsibilities, challenges and sacrifices that ordinary people rarely see.
She leaves the Bureau with something that cannot be measured in pesos:
a legacy of service.
NANAO: 41 YEARS—THAT IS A LIFETIME
And then there is Justino N. Nanao, Jr.
Forty-one years.
Read that again.
41 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
That is more than four decades of waking up, reporting for duty, performing responsibilities and serving under changing administrations, policies, technologies and generations of Customs leadership.
For a government employee to dedicate 41 years to public service is no small achievement.
It is a career.
It is a lifetime.
And it deserves to be recognized loudly—not quietly.
NEPOMUCENO’S REFORM AGENDA MUST INCLUDE PEOPLE
The recognition also reflects the broader direction under Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, whose leadership has emphasized Integrity, Accountability and Modernization.
But modernization is not merely about systems, technology and faster transactions.
Modernization must also mean building an institution that remembers and respects the people who made it work.
The retirement awards given to Rañeses and Nanao show that reform can have a human side.
Behind every collection figure is a Customs employee.
Behind every successful operation is a team.
Behind every institutional achievement are people who spent years carrying the workload.
And when those people finally walk out of the Bureau for the last time, they deserve more than a goodbye.
They deserve recognition.
THE BOTTOM LINE
POM’s August retirement tribute may have been a simple ceremony, but its message was anything but small.
Torralba led. Ricarte and Cabigon stood with him. Rañeses and Nanao were honored.
Edited
That is how an institution should treat its veterans.
Because in government service, positions change.
Officials come and go.
Policies evolve.
Technology transforms operations.
But dedication leaves a footprint.
And after 22 years from Rañeses and an extraordinarily 41 years from Nanao, that footprint is impossible to erase.
POM salutes its retirees.
And under Torralba, Ricarte and Cabigon, the message is clear:
SERVICE COUNTS. SACRIFICE COUNTS. AND THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES TO PUBLIC SERVICE MUST NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
