Dennis Gaviola

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Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178403647394120260709-senate-zuleika-lopez-MT2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Usec. Zuleika Lopez, Chief of Staff for the Office of the Vice President, leaves the Philippine Senate after a brief visit on July 9. Lopez, who is scheduled to appear before the impeachment court on July 14, declined to reveal the purpose of her visit.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Usec. Zuleika Lopez, Chief of Staff for the Office of the Vice President, leaves the Philippine Senate after a brief visit on July 9. Lopez, who is scheduled to appear before the impeachment court on July 14, declined to reveal the purpose of her visit.  <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense panel on Tuesday admitted that they were surprised with the prosecution’s decision to withdraw two witnesses scheduled to testify on the grave threats allegations raised against the second-in-command.</p><p>Shortly before the 5th trial day ended, counsel for prosecution Lorna Kapunan manifested that Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez and House of Representatives Legislative Security Bureau Executive Director Belinda Bello would no longer be called in as witnesses after their testimonies were deemed “totally unnecessary, redundant and a surplusage” due to what was already discussed in previous days. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/14/prosecution-to-no-longer-present-lopez-bello-in-impeachment-trial-2023" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">READ: Prosecution to no longer present Lopez, Bello in impeachment trial</a></div><p>“We honestly did not expect it, but that was the prerogative of the prosecution,” Defense spokesperson Michael Poa told reporters. </p><p>“Maganda para sa lahat… na at least nabawasan na yung mga witness,” he said.</p><p>“The defense is always reasonable. Kung kaya namin yun gawin sa panig namin sa pagpresenta ng ebidensya, gagawin namin,” he added. “All parties involved are hoping na hindi tatagal ng ganoong katagal ang paglilitis.”</p><p>Poa explained that it a “normal” occurrence in proceedings as legal counsels tend to include as a lot of witnesses in the pre-trial brief to ensure that they would have sufficient options to call to the stand. </p><p>“Atty. Kapunan articulated it well. Sa tingin niya magigignrepetition lang, repetitive lang,” he said. </p><p>“Hindi din naman malayo na mangyari on the part of the defense na kapag tingin namin corroborrative… maaring magbawas na kami,” he added.</p><p>Lopez is not part of the defense’s list of witnesses, Poa said, noting that the Duterte’s legal counsels did not deem the chief of staff’s testimony as “integral” to their strategy. </p><p>“Hindi namin siya nailista. Titingnan muna natin kung kinakailangan talaga,” he said.</p><p>“There are reserved witnesses from Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President so we will just determine kung kinakailangan ba,” he said.</p><p>“There is always that possibility although ayoko pangunahan.”</p><p>There is also no guarantee that Duterte will no longer appear in the Senate in succeeding days now that Lopez is no longer required to take the stand, Poa said. </p><p>“I cannot honestly directly answer that question. I dont know if she might still attend despite the fact na hindi na witness si Atty. Leika,” the defense spokesperson said.</p><p>“Ayoko magsabi na hindi tapas bigla siyang dadating dito,” he said.</p><p>Lopez was scheduled for direct examination on July 14, but her appearance was held off after multiple interjections from several senator judges stretched the cross examination and re-direct examination of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, the prosecution’s second witness. </p><p>“All of the points raised by the sen judges are helpful. We think that the raising points to either support or question the credibility… You get insights on what really happened,” Poa said.</p><p>“Regardless of the nature of the comments posed by the senator judges, these would also help us for the next witnesses to come,” he said.</p><p>Without Lopez and Bello on the witness stand on July 15, the Senate impeachment court will instead hold oral arguments to settle the matter of opening Duterte’s tax and bank records during the trial.</p><p>NBI Director Melvin Matibag, the prosecution’s next witness, will be called to court on July 20.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/14/nbi-director-matibag-says-ready-to-testify-anytime-in-duterte-impeachment-trial-1756">READ: NBI chief Matibag says ready to testify &#x27;anytime&#x27; in Duterte impeachment trial</a></div><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/swL7y-q7yPY?&amp;pp=0gcJCVELAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense panel on Tuesday admitted that they were surprised with the prosecution’s decision to withdraw two witnesses scheduled to testify on the grave threats allegations raised against the second-in-command.</p>

Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense panel on Tuesday admitted that they were surprised with the prosecution’s decision to withdraw two witnesses scheduled to testify on the grave threats allegations raised against the second-in-command.

Duterte’s camp surprised but respects withdrawal of Zuleika Lopez as prosecution witness

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Duterte’s camp surprised but respects withdrawal of Zuleika Lopez as prosecution witness

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 14, 2026 09:42 PM PHT

Read More:

Michael Poa

Sara Duterte impeachment trial

Zuleika Lopez

Sara Duterte

Duterte impeachment

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