The House prosecution panel said the impeachment case’s article on grave threats against Vice President Sara Duterte will rely heavily on her own public statements, widely circulated video recordings, and corroborating witnesses who directly heard or observed the remarks.
House prosecution legal spokesperson Atty. Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. said the evidence is largely already in the public domain, reducing the need for traditional “star witnesses.”
“With regards to the grave threats, we don’t need any star witness… because kitang-kita naman ho sa video footages ang subject utterances,” Tolosa said in a Zoom press briefing.
He said Duterte’s recorded statements and subsequent public remarks form the core of the prosecution’s case.
“The utterances are already on record… and in her subsequent press conferences, she did not deny them, and in fact confirmed having made those statements,” he added.
The threats article is expected to be among the first to be presented when the Senate impeachment court begins trial on July 6, stemming from Duterte’s alleged remarks directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
House prosecution spokesperson Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the case does not hinge on a single witness, but on multiple forms of corroboration, including video documentation and official findings.
“The star witness is ang sambayanang Pilipino. We all saw the videos,” Adiong said.
He added that the National Bureau of Investigation has already validated the authenticity of the footage, noting there was no indication it had been doctored or manipulated.
Tolosa said journalists who were present when some of the statements were allegedly made may also be called to testify.
“Without going too much into details, it’s possible to present journalists who have personally witnessed some of the utterances,” he said.
He also said a psychiatrist may be presented to assess whether the statements were made seriously or in jest, particularly in relation to the alleged gravity of the threats.
A representative from the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office is likewise being considered as a witness, he added.
Adiong said the prosecution will present witnesses whose testimonies are directly relevant to establishing the allegations in the Articles of Impeachment.
“All the witnesses we will present will be important and indispensable in proving the allegations,” he said.