House prosecutors brush off Vice President's chief of staff's Senate visit, say impeachment court testimony unaffected

The prosecution panel of the House of Representatives in the impeachment trial on Thursday said that the visit of Zuleika Lopez, chief of staff of the Office of the Vice President, to the Senate will not have any effect on her testimony before the impeachment court. In a press conference, private prosecutor and House impeachment legal spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said they have already requested the Senate Impeachment Court to issue a subpoena for Lopez to appear as a hostile witness, and this will not be affected by her appearance at the Senate on Thursday. Lopez arrived at the Senate for a coordination meeting with Senate Secretary and Clerk of Court Renato Bantug Jr. Asked for the purpose of her visit, Lopez answered: "prepare for Typhoon Inday." "It has no significance to us. So far as we're concerned, we've already asked the Impeachment Court to issue a subpoena directing Attorney Zuleika Lopez to appear before the court as one of our witnesses. And our purpose for presenting her as a witness, what we intend to do during her presentation as a witness, would not be affected by that occurrence this morning," Tolosa said. "We trust that the trial will be proceeding and the prosecution will be unaffected," impeachment prosecutor Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez also said. Lead impeachment prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro echoed the sentiments of the other prosecutors. "Only the impeachment court can appreciate the testimony of Atty. Zuleika Lopez and whatever pieces of evidence may be presented and identified. I totally agree with that prior comment of my colleagues in the prosecution team na walang epekto ang kanyang presence today sa Senate sa kanyang magiging upcoming appearance before the impeachment court," Luistro said in a separate interview. Luistro also stated that the defense panel's showing of Lopez's video in yesterday's impeachment trial was a plus for the prosecution panel. "It did not debunk the testimony that was given already by agent (John Mark) Calilung. Huwag tayong malito. Our allegations are about a threat, contracting an assassin to kill the president, the first lady, and the former speaker, as well as a destabilization plot. Hindi naman subject matter ng kasong ito whatever was presented by that video of Atty. Zuleika. That is not the subject matter of this case," Luistro said. "The subject matter of this case is whether yung allegations of threat, destabilization, and contracting an assassin are sufficient to constitute an impeachment offense," she added. The representative of the 2nd district of Batangas also said the move of the defense panel laid to rest questions on the authenticity of the video. "There is a principle in law we call estoppel, no? You cannot question anymore something which you admitted already. Eh yung kanilang pag-present kahapon ng video, which is part of the video presented by the prosecution, for us, that is an admission of the authenticity, genuineness of the video concerning the allegations of threat, destabilization, and contracting an assassin," Luistro explained. Aside from Lopez, the prosecution panel has also informed the Senate impeachment court that it plans to present as witnesses next week NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc and House Legislative Security Bureau Executive Director Capt. Belinda Bello. As for the vice president, Luistro said, "Wala pa po tayong finile na request for subpoena to the Vice President. Wala pa." When asked if the House Prosecution Panel will file one, Luistro replied, "Well, we are discussing that. That is one of the subject matters of the discussion of the team. But we have yet to resolve with finality kung ano magiging position talaga ng prosecution team about that." —LDF, GMA News