Highlights: Day 5 of Sara Duterte impeachment trial | July 14, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) official Jeremy Lotoc on Tuesday told the Senate impeachment court that former President Rodrigo Duterte’s case before the International Criminal Court (ICC) was among the factors considered in assessing Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged capability to carry out threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

During the fifth day of Duterte’s impeachment trial, Lotoc said investigators factored in the vice president’s relationship to the former president and his pending ICC case over alleged extrajudicial killings when evaluating whether she had the capability to execute the threats she allegedly made during a November 2024 online press briefing.

Under cross-examination by defense lawyer Mark Vinluan, Lotoc acknowledged he had no personal knowledge that Duterte had contracted someone to kill the president or the other targets, but maintained that the evidence the NBI gathered linked her to such a plot.

Article continues after this advertisement

The NBI official also asserted that typographical errors and document inconsistencies pointed out by the defense did not alter the NBI’s findings that Duterte committed grave threats and inciting to sedition.

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

On the sedition charge, Lotoc said actual sedition need not occur for the offense of inciting to sedition to apply, explaining that the law penalizes those who attempt to overthrow the government or disturb public peace.

Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said the House prosecution panel will no longer present Office of the Vice President chief-of-staff Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez and House Legislative Security Bureau official Capt. Belinda Bello, arguing that their testimonies on Duterte’s alleged grave threats would be “unnecessary,” “redundant,” and a “surplusage” after the testimonies of NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung and Lotoc.

The day’s proceedings also touched on the term “Oplan Romanov,” with Lotoc and Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo saying it was first publicly used by Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte during a rally referring to alleged threats against the Marcos family.

Outside the witness testimony, Presiding officer Francis Escudero announced that the impeachment court would rule on Wednesday on the prosecution’s request to subpoena Duterte’s bank and tax records after hearing oral arguments from both sides.

Article continues after this advertisement

Meanwhile, NBI Director Melvin Matibag defended his request to reschedule his testimony after Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano criticized the move, explaining that he needed to attend an FBI-hosted regional summit on transnational crime in Bangkok. His testimony has been reset for July 20.

The vice president, speaking before proceedings began, maintained that the complaint against her is not supported by evidence, pointing to Day 4 as proof of what she has said all along.

Article continues after this advertisement

The prosecution panel pushed back sharply, with Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon challenging defense lawyers to do better, arguing that pointing out document discrepancies did not diminish the underlying threats.

Ridon also framed the dilemma for the defense: If Duterte did not contract a hitman, then her statements in a November 23, 2024 online press briefing were lies, and if the statements were true, she made real threats, leaving her either a lying or a threatening official.

The prosecution further questioned Duterte’s fitness for the presidency on those grounds.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Sources

Witness links ex-Pres. Duterte’s ICC case to VP’s kill threat capability

Escudero: Impeach court to rule on bank, tax record subpoena Wednesday

Witness: typo errors do not alter NBI findings on Sara Duterte

Lotoc: Actual sedition not required to charge inciting to sedition vs VP Duterte

Tulfo, witness to defense: Original ‘Romanov’ plan was threat vs Marcos

Matibag responds to Cayetano: I’m not dictating impeachment court

NBI exec: Evidence points to Sara Duterte’s kill plot against MarcosI

Lying VP or threatening VP? Pick one, Ridon tells Duterte, supporters

Sara Duterte maintains kill plot vs Marcos not supported by evidence

Ridon tells VP Duterte’s lawyers: Do better, you didn’t disprove threat

Prosecutors question Sara Duterte’s fitness to be president

LIVE UPDATES: Impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte | July 14, 2026

Sara Duterte impeachment trial: Matibag’s testimony moved to July 20

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