Day 3 recap: Sara aide subpoenaed as Week 1 of impeachment trial ends

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate impeachment court capped the first week of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Wednesday by granting the House prosecution’s request to subpoena Office of the Vice President chief of staff Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez.

Lopez was ordered to appear and testify as one of the prosecution’s key witnesses when hearings resume Monday, July 13, according to court spokesperson Reginald Tongol.

The vice president’s top aide is among three witnesses the prosecution intends to call in the second week of the trial to support Article IV, the grave-threats charge alleging that Duterte hired a hitman to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

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READ: Impeachment court to subpoena Sara Duterte’s chief of staff

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The other two witnesses named are NBI lawyer Jeremy Lotoc and House Sergeant-at-Arms Capt. Belinda Bello.

The first week of the trial wrapped up earlier than scheduled after the prosecution moved the presentation of its second witness, Lotoc, to Monday, July 13.

NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung, the prosecution’s first witness, concluded his testimony on Wednesday, telling senator-judges that the NBI investigated Duterte’s alleged threats based on its mandate to probe threats against the president and other top officials, even without a formal complaint from the offended parties.

Senator-Judge Risa Hontiveros pressed defense lawyer Carlo Joaquin Narvasa on the relevance of video clips showing Lopez crying over her detention by the House in November 2024, asking whether the defense was arguing that Duterte’s alleged threats were warranted because her chief of staff had been oppressed.

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Narvasa confirmed that the defense position was that there had been systematic oppression by the House of Representatives.

Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero separately allowed defense counsel to comment on a tabled prosecution remark about whether Duterte’s statements in the kill-threat video constituted an impeachable offense.

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The prosecution also filed a motion for the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum and ad testificandum for a Bureau of Internal Revenue sealed box containing Duterte’s tax records, after the court had earlier returned the box to the BIR for lack of a formal directive.

Prosecution lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said seeking President Marcos’ authorization to open the tax documents is one option under consideration, similar to the approach used during the Corona impeachment trial.

Tolosa added that the prosecution is focused on building an airtight case and is not prioritizing efforts to lower the two-thirds conviction threshold. [13]

Malacañang, meanwhile, expressed support for Escudero’s election as presiding officer amid a Supreme Court petition filed by Duterte-allied lawyer Israelito Torreon and eight others seeking a temporary restraining order against the trial.

Duterte’s own defense counsel said they had no knowledge of the Torreon-led petition.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Marcos supports whatever action the Senate takes as long as it is within the bounds of the law, and added that Duterte should personally address the charges rather than have her defense rely solely on technicalities. /dp

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Cited sources

Impeachment court to subpoena Sara Duterte’s chief of staff

Duterte impeachment trial wraps up Week 1; 2nd witness moved to Monday

Palace backs Escudero as Duterte impeachment trial presiding officer

Zuleika Lopez among prosecution’s next witnesses in impeachment trial

Duterte’s threats probed sans complaint due to NBI mandate – Calilung

Prosecution panel seeks subpoena for Sara Duterte’s tax records

Palace on impeachment trial: Duterte must personally answer charges

Hontiveros asks Duterte defense: Threats OK if OVP staff is oppressed?

WATCH: Defense may comment on prosecution remarks about VP’s ‘kill threat’ video

Castro: Marcos backs Senate’s lawful course in Duterte impeachment trial

Sara Duterte’s defense team did not know about Torreon-led SC petition

Seeking Marcos’ authorization for BIR box opening is an option – Tolosa

Spox: Prosecution not focused on lowering impeach conviction threshold

Editor’s note: This update was generated with the aid of artificial intelligence based on Inquirer.net and Philippine Daily Inquirer articles and reviewed by a human editor.