The House prosecution panel has asked the Senate Impeachment Court to subpoena Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez, as a witness in the impeachment trial.
In a request for the issuance of a subpoena ad testificandum filed Tuesday, prosecutors said Lopez’s testimony is “material, relevant and necessary” to proving Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment.
Article IV accuses Duterte of making grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
The prosecution said Lopez’s testimony is needed to establish the allegations under Article IV and to identify and authenticate documentary and other evidence that will be presented before the impeachment court.
Prosecutors asked the court to direct Lopez to appear during the hearings scheduled on July 13, 14, and 15.
The request places one of Duterte’s closest aides at the center of the prosecution’s presentation of evidence on the grave threats article.
As chief of staff of the Office of the Vice President, Lopez held one of the highest-ranking positions in Duterte’s office and is expected to testify on matters surrounding the alleged threats.
Her testimony is expected to provide the impeachment court with information from inside the Office of the Vice President on the events surrounding Duterte’s public statements.
Prosecutors are expected to use Lopez’s testimony to establish context and corroborate other evidence supporting their claim that the statements amounted to grave threats and not mere political rhetoric.
The subpoena request also signals that the prosecution intends to build its case through witnesses with direct knowledge of events inside the Office of the Vice President, along with documentary, digital, and testimonial evidence.
If granted, Lopez could become one of the prosecution’s key witnesses when hearings on Article IV begin next week.