MANILA, Philippines — Amid the tense proceedings of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, one small personal object carried by prosecution lawyer Atty. Mae Divinagracia has captured public attention: a wooden cross she held during her questioning of a witness.
Divinagracia, one of the private lawyers assisting the House prosecution panel, was seen holding the cross while conducting her direct examination during the 18th day of the Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday, August 25.
When asked why she carries it, Divinagracia gave a deeply personal explanation.
“For comfort,” she said, adding that holding the cross gives her “confidence” and “clarity of mind.”
The moment quickly became a talking point online, with Filipinos curious about the significance of the wooden cross and why the lawyer keeps it with her during major hearings and trials.
What is a “comfort cross”?
The object Divinagracia was carrying is commonly described as a comfort cross—a wooden cross designed to be held in the hand, particularly during prayer, reflection or difficult moments.
Unlike a conventional cross intended primarily for display, its shape is designed to fit comfortably in the hand. For Divinagracia, it has apparently become a familiar companion during courtroom proceedings.
Inquirer reported that the litigation lawyer carries the cross whenever she attends hearings and trials.
Her explanation also offers a glimpse into the personal pressures surrounding one of the country’s most closely watched political proceedings.
Divinagracia takes center stage during Day 18
The significance of the moment comes as Divinagracia played a central role in the prosecution’s questioning of Lemuel Ortonio, an Office of the Vice President assistant secretary and assistant chief of staff.
Ortonio was declared a hostile witness by the Senate impeachment court after Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero determined that the witness had an adverse interest in relation to both the respondent and the prosecution. The designation allowed the prosecution to ask leading questions, although not misleading ones.
The testimony was part of the prosecution’s presentation concerning allegations surrounding the use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President.
Among the issues raised was the OVP’s request for confidential funds in 2022. Ortonio testified that the office had no records showing that former Vice President Leni Robredo’s OVP had confidential funds, and confirmed that this absence was among the reasons the Duterte OVP sought an allocation after she assumed office.
Other reports from the day’s proceedings said Ortonio also acknowledged accompanying OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta when checks connected to confidential funds were encashed. GMA News reported that the checks involved four amounts of P125 million each, encashed between December 2022 and July 2023.
ABS-CBN likewise reported that prosecutors questioned Ortonio about the timing of the OVP’s request for confidential funds and other details surrounding the office’s handling of those funds.
Why the small cross became a big talking point
The cross itself is not evidence in the impeachment proceedings, nor does its presence establish anything about the allegations against Duterte.
Its significance is personal.
For Divinagracia, the wooden cross appears to function as a source of composure while she performs one of the most demanding roles in the trial: questioning witnesses whose testimony could affect the prosecution’s case.
Her explanation—comfort, confidence and clarity—also stands in contrast to the increasingly combative atmosphere inside and outside the Senate chamber.
The lawyer has become one of the more recognizable members of the prosecution team. Inquirer reported separately that Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima introduced Divinagracia as one of the private lawyers joining the prosecution on a pro bono basis. She has been described as having experience in commercial, civil and criminal litigation and previously served as counsel for the late Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral.
The bigger story behind the viral moment
While social media attention focused on the cross, the proceedings themselves continued to revolve around the prosecution’s allegations concerning confidential funds.
Day 18 brought another significant development when Ortonio became the second hostile witness presented by the prosecution. Reports from GMA News, ABS-CBN and DZRH showed that prosecutors continued pressing him on the OVP’s handling, requests and disbursement of confidential funds.
That makes Divinagracia’s quiet gesture with the wooden cross more than just a viral courtroom image.
It became a snapshot of the human side of a high-stakes proceeding—one in which lawyers, witnesses, senators and political figures are operating under intense public scrutiny.
And as the impeachment trial continues, the questions surrounding the OVP’s confidential funds remain far more consequential than the object in Divinagracia’s hand.
For now, however, the image of a prosecutor gripping a small wooden cross while questioning a hostile witness has become one of the day’s most memorable moments.
The cross may have offered Divinagracia comfort—but what emerged from the witness stand could prove far more consequential for the impeachment case.
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