Rowegie Abanto

Duterte defense team shows snippets of 2-hr video showing emotional Zuleika Lopez. Screenshot from Senate livestream

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<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/1783496449687composites 2 (1) (12).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Duterte defense team shows snippets of 2-hr video showing emotional Zuleika Lopez. <em>Screenshot from Senate livestream</em></span></span></span>MANILA — The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday was allowed to present snippets of the online news briefing that she conducted in November 2024 where she issued alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.</div><p>The snippets showed an emotional Duterte chief of staff Zuleika Lopez during the Nov. 23, 2024 Zoom call that was streamed online. </p><p>Lopez at the time had been cited for contempt by a House panel investigating Duterte&#x27;s alleged confidential funds misuse and had been ordered detained.</p><p>She was brought to the hospital after falling ill and after the panel had ordered her transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/8/escudero-warns-prosecution-defense-against-making-concluding-remarks-1442">Escudero warns prosecution, defense against making &#x27;concluding remarks&#x27;</a></div><p>Parts of the video were shown during the cross-examination by defense lawyer Carlo Joaquin Narvasa of John Mark Calilung, the senior agent of the National Bureau of Investigation who authenticated and investigated the video.</p><p>Calilung appeared as a witness from the prosecution before the Senate impeachment court and had testified to having identified, preserved, collected and authenticated the subject video and other related digital recordings.</p><p>Narvasa on Tuesday said the impeachment court should see the entire video to provide context for Duterte&#x27;s remarks about the president, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and then House Speaker Martin Romualdez.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELEVANCE OF SNIPPETS</strong></div><p>Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros asked 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>Even if Lopez was &quot;answering the questions faithfully&quot; during the hearings, she was still cited for contempt and detained, Narvasa pointed out.</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><div><br/></div><div><strong>ESCUDERO REMINDER</strong></div><p>Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero interjected during Hontiveros&#x27; questioning, reminding trial judges &quot;to be cautious in making counsels for either party make conclusions of law and fact.&quot;</p><p>If Narvasa answers Hontiveros&#x27; follow-up question, Escudero argued, &quot;that would effectively place on record a conclusion of fact and law, not drawn from a witness, which they can do so during closing remarks.&quot;</p><p>Hontiveros in the end submitted to the Escudero&#x27;s reminder but noted that past impeachment trials allowed senator-judges&#x27; &quot;liberal&quot; questions that sought clarification.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WATCH</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tPborQsl9AQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The defense team of Sara Duterte on Wednesday was allowed to present snippets of the online news briefing of the vice president in November 2024 where she issued alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos and his family.</p>

The defense team of Sara Duterte on Wednesday was allowed to present snippets of the online news briefing of the vice president in November 2024 where she issued alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos and his family.

Duterte defense team presents clips of emotional Zuleika Lopez from November 2024 video

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Duterte defense team presents clips of emotional Zuleika Lopez from November 2024 video

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 08, 2026 04:03 PM PHT

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Updated July 08, 2026 06:39 PM PHT

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Sara Duterte

Impeachment Trial

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