Prosecutors withdraw witnesses in VP Duterte impeachment trial, citing sufficient evidence

MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte has decided to withdraw several witnesses for Article IV, which pertains to threats, arguing that they have already established a strong case and that excessive evidence could complicate matters. Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor explained the decision, comparing it to cooking: "The taste is now right, if you will add more ingredients, the taste might be different, so we will stop already." Lead prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro echoed this sentiment, stating, "We believe that we have established already our case in Article IV, that is threat. Noy (Defensor) said something earlier, I will add to that: everything excessive is bad, we should be exact." Lawyer Lorna Kapunan, counsel for the prosecution team, also offered similar advice, suggesting that "too much love is also destructive" and that it is important to know when to stop. She implied that with the evidence already presented and clearly explained, further witnesses were unnecessary. The witnesses withdrawn include a representative from the Philippine National Police (PNP), reporters who were present during the press briefing where the alleged threats were made, a relative of a person threatened, and a psychiatrist. These individuals were initially slated to testify on Duterte's alleged ability to carry out threats and her tendency towards violence. This is not the first time the prosecution has withdrawn witnesses. On Tuesday, they announced they would no longer present Office of the Vice President (OVP) chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez and Capt. Belinda Bello of the House's Legislative Security Bureau, deeming their testimonies redundant. Lopez was reportedly a witness to the alleged threats made by the Vice President while she was detained at the House premises. Bello was involved in security matters at the House when the alleged threats were made. "We always have to balance and like what Atty. Lorna (Kapunan) said, you should always know when it's the right time to stop, and we think this is the best time to stop as the allegations from the Articles of Impeachment have been clearly explained and has been repeatedly mentioned through evidence presented," Defensor noted. Luistro added, "The reason for the withdrawal is because we have a strong case. The evidence is complete. And as we said, everything excessive is bad, so let us proceed to the next article." Article IV concerns alleged threats made by the Vice President during a press briefing while Lopez was detained. Duterte reportedly made statements about having arranged for an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, should she herself be killed.