VP Sara Impeachment Trial to Start with Article on Alleged Assassination Plot

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will begin next Tuesday with the hearing on Article IV, which pertains to alleged assassination plots, grave threats, and inciting sedition against the government. According to the Pre-Trial Order issued by the Senate Impeachment Court on June 29, the prosecution has been allotted 11 of the 62 trial dates for this specific article. Following Article IV, the trial will proceed to Article I on alleged misuse and misappropriation of confidential funds (31 trial dates), Article III on alleged bribery and corruption within the Department of Education (eight trial dates), and Article II on alleged unexplained wealth, false Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs), and continued business interests (12 trial dates). Article IV charges the Vice President with other high crimes and betrayal of public trust through her public statements. In the early hours of November 23, 2024, during an online press briefing from inside the House of Representatives where her chief of staff was detained and was to be transferred to a detention facility, a furious Duterte stated, "No one should worry about my security because if I am killed, I have already spoken to someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke." In another statement before the media a few days later, Duterte said, "Is revenge from the grave a crime?" The 1987 Constitution provides that "in case of death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation of the President, the Vice-President shall become the President to serve the unexpired term." The Prosecution panel describes Article IV as the "least complicated charge to prove" and will present evidence based on testimonies and video recordings. According to the Pre-Trial Order, the Prosecution has proposed to present 10 witnesses for Article IV. These include Belinda Bello, Executive Director of the Legislative Security Bureau of the House of Representatives; Jeremy Lotoc, regional director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); John Mark Calilung, a senior agent at the NBI; Atty. Melvin Matibag, Director of the NBI; Reuters correspondent Mikhail Flores; former Rappler reporter Bonz Magsambol; and Sheriff Abe Andres, who was allegedly punched by Duterte on July 1, 2011, during her first term as Davao City mayor. Andres posted on his social media page on June 26 that he does not want to be involved in "any partisan political matters." "Please do not involve me in any PARTISAN political matters. I have been appointed in the Supreme Court as a Human Resource Management Officer, a second level position," Andres said, adding that it has been "my position ever since to refuse to comment on the incident when I was holding a first level position, particularly, Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court." The Prosecution, according to the Pre-Trial Order, reserved the right to present additional or substitute witnesses as the circumstances may warrant. (MindaNews)