Jaehwa Bernardo

Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference in the Senate hours before the second day of her impeachment trial, July 7, 2026. Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Sara Duterte impeachment trial: Prosecution reserves right to call VP as witness in threat case

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783416381164SARADUTS.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference in the Senate hours before the second day of her impeachment trial, July 7, 2026. Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA (UPDATE) — Prosecutors in Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s impeachment case said Tuesday they reserve the right to call the second-highest government official as a witness during proceedings on allegations that she threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and members of his family.Lorna Kapunan, who serves as counsel for the prosecution, made the statement during the second day of the trial at the Senate, which is acting as an impeachment court.Kapunan bared such plans as she noted that Duterte <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/7/duterte-security-team-at-senate-no-confirmation-if-vp-to-attend-trial-1127">was at the Senate hours before the trial</a> for a meeting with her legal team.She had intended to ask the defense whether Duterte, who was at the Senate earlier in the day, intends to appear before the court.She said she was asking because parties have to tell the court on Tuesdays who the witnesses they plant to present in the coming week are.Kapunan said she was informing the impeachment court &quot;that we will manifest that we will have a written request for her (Duterte) presence in connection with this article on grave threats.&quot;Sen. Francis &quot;Chiz&quot; Escudero, serving as the presiding officer, no longer asked Duterte&#x27;s lawyers to respond, saying: &quot;The impeachment rules do not mandate nor require the respondent to attend any hearing or trial of the impeachment court.&quot;Escudero said if the prosecutors &quot;desire to call the respondent (Duterte) herself, the court will act on that motion and request once it is made and or filed, and need not make a ruling at this point in time.&quot;He said that the court will ask the defense to comment or respond when the prosecution makes its request.In response, Kapunan said the prosecution &quot;will reserve the right.&quot;&quot;We are not waiving the right to do call her at the appropriate time and to do file the appropriate request for subpoena duces tecum and subpoena testificandum,&quot; she said.<div> </div><div>&#x27;CLICKBAIT&#x27;</div>Meanwhile, House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega compared Duterte’s short visit at the Senate to meet with her lawyers to a “clickbait”, saying he hopes she at least attended her impeachment trial.“Dumating lang noong umaga, tapos umuwi rin. Parang clickbait lang ‘yung dating kanina. Na-clickbait tayong lahat. Akala namin mag-aattend na rin ng ating trial, pero nag-attendance lang, pero nasa canteen. Hindi pa nagpaliwanag. Sayang pumunta na rin sana sa hearing. Mas maganda rin kasi na nandoon naman siya,” Ortega said.House prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon, for his part, acknowledged that Duterte has a right against self-incrimination and it is her prerogative whether or not she will physically appear in her own trial.“May right against self-incrimination ‘yung ating mga respondent, mga akusado. So ultimately, siya ang magpapasya kung gusto niyang maisalang doon pagka ipinatawag siya. But we will make that request in due time, and kung nakabatay talaga sa pangangailangan ng prosecution,” Ridon said.The second day of the trial focused on allegations that Duterte threatened Marcos and his relatives, arising from remarks she allegedly made during a November 2024 press conference.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/7/impeachment-court-tackles-duterte-s-alleged-threat-vs-marcos-1513">READ: Impeachment court tackles Duterte&#x27;s alleged threat vs Marcos </a></div>Duterte allegedly claimed she had hired an assassin to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez — the president&#x27;s cousin — should she be killed first.

The prosecution team in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case said Tuesday it reserved the right to call the second-highest government official as a witness during proceedings on allegations that she threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and members of his family.

The prosecution team in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case said Tuesday it reserved the right to call the second-highest government official as a witness during proceedings on allegations that she threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and members of his family.

Sara Duterte impeachment trial: Prosecution reserves right to call VP as witness in threat allegation

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Sara Duterte impeachment trial: Prosecution reserves right to call VP as witness in threat allegation

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 07, 2026 05:41 PM PHT

|

Updated July 07, 2026 09:01 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte impeachment trial

Lorna Kapunan

Francis Escudero

Chiz Escudero

grave threat

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