Prosecution drops VP's chief of staff from impeachment witness list

MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution team in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will no longer present Office of the Vice President (OVP) chief-of-staff and Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez as a witness, citing that her testimony would be redundant. Lawyer Lorna Kapunan, private counsel for the prosecution, stated on Tuesday that Lopez's testimony, along with that of Capt. Belinda Bello, would be repetitive to the examinations of two National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officials, Senior Agent John Mark Calilung and Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc. These NBI officials were presented to testify on accusations that the Vice President made grave threats. Bello, an official from the House’s Legislative Security Bureau, was involved in security matters when Duterte was at the House in November 2024, the same period she held a press briefing where the alleged threats were made against ranking officials. "In the last four trial days, we’ve had several hours of legal calisthenics… a total of approximately eight hours a day and two witnesses. Today we are supposed to hear a subpoenaed witness and another witness subpoenaed or called to appear here, Capt. Belinda Bello," Kapunan said. "After hearing the two competent and credible witnesses — not expert witness, but through their credentials showed that that they were competent to testify on the matters that they were asked to authenticate… it is the wisdom of the public prosecutors as expressed through this representation that we find it totally unnecessary, redundant, and a surplusage to still present Atty. Zuleika Lopez and as well as Capt. Belinda Bello," she added. The prosecution panel had originally intended to present Lopez as a hostile witness. She is considered a key figure in Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which charges Duterte with betraying public trust after allegedly making grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. Lopez's detention at the House premises in November 2024, after she participated in a hearing concerning alleged misuse of confidential funds within Duterte's offices, preceded Duterte's online briefing where she addressed the media. Duterte was cited for contempt for supposedly committing undue interference during the panel's investigation. During the briefing, a visibly angered Duterte made remarks against the Marcos couple and Romualdez. When asked about her security, she reportedly stated that she had hired an assassin to kill the three if she herself were to be killed. This development may influence the trajectory of the impeachment proceedings, which carry significant implications for the Vice President's ability to govern and her future political standing.