Marilyn Cahatol

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, tackles Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte on day two of the trial, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. 
The House prosecution panel presented National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Senior Agent John Mark Calilung, from the Cybercrime Investigation Unit, to testify on the Article IV charges of culpable violation of the Constitution, high crimes, and betrayal of public trust.
With Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero overseeing the trial alongside Senate President Win Gatchalian, Senator-judges listened to testimony related to the alleged grave threats made by the vice president against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family. 


Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit

Article (news)

VP Sara Impeachment

Vivienne Gulla

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/178350883874720260708-senate-vp-sara-impeachment-SSMU-WA-16.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, tackles Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte on day two of the trial, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. <em>Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit</em></span></span></span>MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team failed to “impeach” the prosecution’s first witness on the impeachment article alleging grave threats, according to House Impeachment Adviser and Spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers.</div><p>He said this is why the prosecution saw no need to conduct a re-direct examination on National Bureau of Investigation Senior Agent John Mark Calilung, who investigated the statements Duterte made in a November 2024 online press conference.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/8/duterte-defense-team-presents-clips-of-emotional-zuleika-lopez-from-november-2024-video-1603">READ: Duterte defense team presents clips of emotional Zuleika Lopez from November 2024 video</a></div><p>House Impeachment Prosecutor Rep. Ysabel Zamora shared Barbers’ view.</p><p>&quot;Gusto nilang kwestyunin ang credibility at ‘yung training ng ating witness. Wala namang naipakita ang depensa na… matitibag ang statements na ginawa ni John Mark Calilung kahapon sa kanyang direct examination. Narinig din natin ang mga tanong ng senator-judges at lahat naman ng kanilang katanungan ay nasagot ni John Mark Calilung, from questions regarding his training, the investigation he conducted, and the threats, which he investigated. In fact, ang last statement ni Agent Calilung ay ‘yung threats ay &#x27;absolute,&#x27;&quot; Zamora said.</p><p>“Hindi po natibag o hindi nabutasan ang testimonyang inilatag ng ating witness. Isa pang pruweba na ito ay nagsasabi ng katotohanan, because he was very consistent with all his statements from the beginning. Even during the cross examination, nakita natin na he was firm, at tinayuan niya yung kanyang mga binitawang pahayag o testimonya during the first day he was presented as witness for the prosecution,” Barbers also said.</p><p>The prosecution also stood by the allegation in the fourth impeachment article, that the Vice President supposedly “contracted to assassinate the President, the First Lady, and the former House Speaker”, despite the Defense’s claim that the prosecution has <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/8/defense-no-proof-duterte-contracted-an-assassin-1749">“no other competent evidence”</a> to prove its claim.</p><p>Among the basis for the article is Duterte’s previous statement: “May kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke.”</p><p>Zamora asserted an actual written contract is not necessary to prove the allegation in the fourth article.</p><p>“I’m sure wala pang nakagawa na may written contract relating to the hiring of an assassin… Contract or no contract, it is our position that her utterances made on November 23, 2024 constitute impeachable offenses of betrayal of public trust, high crimes, and culpable violation of the Constitution,” she said.</p><p>“Wala pa akong nakitang nangyaring ganoon na ang isang kriminal ay may kontrata,” Barbers added.</p><p>On the supposed &quot;Oplan Romanov&quot; against the Vice President, Barbers said it needs to be investigated.</p><p>“Wala namang basehan… This is a serious story that needs to be investigated din. Unfortunately hindi naman nagko-cooperate ‘yung nagsasabi ng ganyang klaseng plano,” he said.</p><p>With the Defense panel’s presentation of <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/8/duterte-defense-team-presents-clips-of-emotional-zuleika-lopez-from-november-2024-video-1603">video clips showing Duterte’s Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez,</a> Barbers said it helped justify why the impeachment court needs to summon her to the trial as requested by the prosecution.</p><p>The snippets showed an emotional Lopez during the November 23, 2024 Zoom call that was streamed online. Lopez at the time had been cited in contempt by a House panel investigating Duterte&#x27;s alleged confidential funds misuse and had been ordered detained.</p><p>Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros asked Defense Lawyer Carlo Narvasa of the relevance of the excerpt where Lopez claimed there was a threat to her life.</p><p>&quot;Sinasabi ba ng depensa na yung mga alleged threats o incitements ni VP Duterte ay prompted nung detention ni Atty. Lopez?&quot;</p><p>Narvasa answered in the affirmative, alleging that &quot;there was a systematic oppression made by the House of Representatives.&quot;</p><p>Hontiveros again asked Narvasa if it was the position of the defense team that the alleged grave threats were valid if there was a legitimate reason behind them.</p><p>&quot;That is not the point,&quot; he replied.</p><p>Zamora said the first week of Duterte’s impeachment trial “was a good week for the prosecution”.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/7/wrap-prosecution-presents-videos-nbi-agent-on-duterte-s-alleged-threats-vs-marcos-2126">WRAP: Prosecution presents videos, NBI agent on Duterte’s alleged threats vs. Marcos</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rmfI1MjUilE?si=SMAmkedaI_PZ9Xc_" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team failed to “impeach” the prosecution’s first witness on the impeachment article alleging grave threats, according to House Impeachment Adviser and Spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers.</p>

Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team failed to “impeach” the prosecution’s first witness on the impeachment article alleging grave threats, according to House Impeachment Adviser and Spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers.

Defense failed to 'impeach' prosecution's 1st witness on alleged grave threats — prosecution

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Defense failed to 'impeach' prosecution's 1st witness on alleged grave threats — prosecution

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 08, 2026 07:18 PM PHT

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