Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference at the Senate on July 7, 2026. Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Jaehwa Bernardo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17839256627171783925661567.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference at the Senate on July 7, 2026. Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News"/>Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference at the Senate on July 7, 2026. Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News </div>MANILA (UPDATE) — The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial said Monday it would present witnesses to support the alleged existence of a plot to eliminate the country&#x27;s second-highest official and her family.During the trial at the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, Senator-Judge Raffy Tulfo asked lawyer Mark Vinluan if the defense will &quot;also be presenting any other witness to prove this threat on this Operation Romanov?&quot;.Vinluan responded that that would be &quot;part of our evidence in chief.&quot;He added Duterte&#x27;s lawyers are not at liberty to disclose who the witnesses are at this time.&quot;It will depend on the course of the trial,&quot; he said.Earlier, Tulfo also asked if the defense would present a vlogger called &quot;Princess Maui&quot; at the trial, also in relation to the alleged plot against Duterte.&quot;Princess Maui&quot; was among those present at a November 2024 press conference where Vice President Duterte claimed she had instructed an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family if she were killed first.Vinluan said that would depend on &quot;what will be established by the prosecution&quot; but said the defense has the right to call — or not call — witnesses.Last week, Vinluan <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/8/defense-no-proof-duterte-contracted-an-assassin-1749">told the impeachment court</a> that Duterte&#x27;s &quot;unconventional&quot; remark was prompted by the supposed &quot;Operation Romanov&quot;. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/9/palace-says-operation-romanov-no-justification-for-duterte-s-alleged-threat-vs-marcos-1553">READ: Palace says ‘Operation Romanov’ no justification for Duterte’s alleged threat vs Marcos</a></div><div>NBI LOOKS INTO THREATS</div>During Monday&#x27;s trial, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) regional director Jeremy Lotoc, who took the witness stand, said the bureau also investigated alleged threats made against Duterte.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/13/nbi-exec-jeremy-lotoc-testifies-before-senate-impeachment-court-1514">READ: NBI exec says Duterte&#x27;s alleged grave threats &#x27;serious and real&#x27; </a></div>Lotoc said the NBI wrote to Duterte to request information that could provide investigators with leads, but she &quot;did not appear.&quot;&quot;We informed the Vice President that we are investigating that alleged threat against her life and that we want any information that would give us any investigative lead on that matter,&quot; Lotoc said.&quot;Unfortunately the Vice President did not appear so wala kaming makitang pagsisimulan na imbestigahan,&quot; he added.The impeachment court is currently hearing Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which pertains to the alleged threats Duterte made against Marcos and his family.Duterte also faces accusations of misusing confidential funds, amassing unexplained wealth, and bribing government officials — allegations she and her lawyers have denied.

The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial said Monday it would present witnesses to support its claim of an alleged plot to eliminate the country's second-highest official and her family.

The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial said Monday it would present witnesses to support its claim of an alleged plot to eliminate the country's second-highest official and her family.

Duterte defense team to present witness to prove 'Operation Romanov' exists

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Duterte defense team to present witness to prove 'Operation Romanov' exists

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 13, 2026 02:58 PM PHT

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Updated July 13, 2026 04:31 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte impeachment trial

Operation Romanov

Raffy Tulfo

Mark Vinluan

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