Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial Continues Amid Diplomatic Visit and Testimony

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte proceeded Tuesday with National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag testifying on Article IV, referring to the supposed grave threat and assassination plot against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his family. As this developed, lawyer Michael Poa, one of the defense counsels, said the Vice President is currently in The Hague after securing a travel authority from the government. Some senator-judges have expressed reservations about the ruling of the Senate impeachment court to issue a subpoena for the bank, tax, and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, beginning in 2007. Impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol said this in a press conference on Tuesday, noting that Senator-Judges Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, and Camille Villar have submitted separate manifestations regarding the subpoena.