Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is set to take the witness stand in the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, where he is expected to detail financial connections and multi-million peso transactions involving the Duterte family and businessman Samuel ”Sammy” Uy.
Lead prosecutor Rep. Jinky Luistro noted that Trillanes will revisit the alleged funds linked to Uy during his testimony. According to the prosecution team, Trillanes’ statements aim to support Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which addresses the Vice President’s alleged unexplained wealth and acquisition of funds from questionable sources.
Trillanes previously submitted a sworn affidavit alleging that members of the Duterte family, including Vice President Sara Duterte, received substantial transfers via manager’s checks. While the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) confirmed the existence of specific bank transactions cited in Trillanes’ records, financial regulators clarified that they track transactions based on bank reporting, and the specific purpose or source of the transfers remains unproven.
Public prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon explained the sequencing of the prosecution’s strategy, noting that the panel intended to present financial institutional witnesses first but adjusted the line-up as procedural requests were being resolved.
”We would have wanted to present the banks in the soonest time, but the matter relating to the admission has only been resolved today,” Ridon said, referring to formal requests for the defense to admit financial record entries.
Despite the tactical adjustments, the former lawmaker expressed his readiness to face the impeachment court regardless of procedural formalization.
”The purpose of the subpoena is if you have to be compelled to attend, but me, I am willing and ready so even if they don’t issue a subpoena I’m ready to be presented,” Trillanes told reporters.
The defense team has consistently disputed the charges under Article II. Following a brief recess over schedule adjustments, lead defense counsel Atty. Sheila Sison confirmed they would not block the former senator’s appearance.
”If we had withdrawn our objection and they want to present the former Sen. Trillanes tomorrow, then they should just do that,” Sison stated.
The court expects official bank records and financial documents to establish the evidentiary foundation before evaluating Trillanes’ testimony.