Prosecution: We ‘scored points’ by presenting Sara Duterte videos during trial

MANILA, Philippines – The prosecution panel believes it "scored points" during the second day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, particularly after successfully presenting video evidence allegedly showing the Vice President making death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House speaker Martin Romualdez. "We scored when we showed the video that the Senate impeachment court deserved to see. We scored when we showed other statements from the Vice President that support our article of impeachment," said public prosecutor Lorenz "Noy" Defensor. The presentation of the video, which took over two hours to play amid lengthy debates and objections from the defense, is seen as a crucial moment for the prosecution. The defense team repeatedly attempted to question the prosecution's line of questioning and manifestations, but their objections were largely overruled by the impeachment court. CJ Narvasa, the lawyer representing the defense, raised several objections concerning the authentication of documents and the questioning style of private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan, deeming it misleading or vague. However, public prosecutor Terry Ridon quipped that some of the objections were "a bit impertinent" or "repetitive." Defense spokesperson Michael Poa asserted that the defense camp has the discretion to object to questionable pieces of evidence, stating, "In all litigations and trial proceedings, especially in examination of witness, there will be objections from every side." The prosecution's first witness was John Mark Calilung, a senior agent at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), who authenticated Duterte's videos. The defense team tried to remove him as a witness, but presiding officer Chiz Escudero denied the request, citing legal precedents that allowed witnesses beyond those in the initial complaint. Ligutan, among the original lawyers for the House in the impeachment case, took the lead in questioning during the second day. When Narvasa attempted to interrupt Ligutan, the latter responded, "Hold your horses." Narvasa's suggestion that Calilung was "following a script" was an attempt to undermine the witness, though Ligutan's plea to strike the comment from the record was not granted by Escudero. The impeachment court adjourned at 6:24 pm, with the defense's cross-examination of Calilung scheduled for the following day. Following Calilung, the prosecution is expected to present NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, who previously confirmed that Duterte had hired an assassin to kill the President. The prosecution has also asked the court to compel the attendance of other potential witnesses, including House security officer Belinda Bello, NBI Director General Melvin Matibag, and Duterte's chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez.