Manila: The House prosecution panel is set to conclude its presentation concerning the alleged grave threats under Article IV with National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Melvin Matibag serving as the final witness. This decision follows the withdrawal of several other witnesses whose testimonies were deemed redundant, cumulative, or unnecessary.
According to Philippines News Agency, House lead prosecutor and Batangas Representative Gerville 'Jinky' Luistro informed the Senate impeachment court that Matibag's testimony would complete the prosecution's evidence on the charge. The panel is then expected to shift its focus to Article I, which involves Vice President Sara Duterte's confidential funds.
Luistro stated that the withdrawal of other witnesses makes Attorney Melvin Matibag, the NBI director, the last witness for the threat charge, with his testimony scheduled for the upcoming Tuesday. The prosecution had earlier decided not to pursue testimonies from Duterte's former chief of staff Zuleika Lopez and Capt. Belinda Bello, after NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc's completed testimony.
Further withdrawals included a representative from the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office, journalists Mikhail Flores and Bonz Magsambol, Sheriff Abe Andres, a relative of one of the alleged threat victims, and a psychiatrist. Luistro explained that these testimonies were no longer necessary given the evidence already on record.
The prosecution highlighted that the testimony of a police witness, intended to demonstrate Duterte's capability to execute a threat through ownership of firearms, was unnecessary as it was already established that the government took the threat seriously, leading to a full-scale investigation and a recommendation to file a criminal complaint.
The decision to forgo the journalists' testimonies was based on the authentication of recordings by an NBI agent and the defense's acknowledgment of the video's authenticity. Article IV accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust over recorded statements about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
With Matibag's testimony concluding the threat case, the prosecution panel is preparing to begin its presentation on Article I on July 22. They plan to seek subpoenas for a House Legislative Archives official and two former LandBank branch managers related to Duterte's confidential fund transactions. Luistro requested the issuance of subpoenas for the first three witnesses for confidential funds, supporting Article I.
