Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV revealed that he personally requested the House prosecution panel to withdraw his name from its roster of witnesses in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a social media statement following the panel’s decision not to call him to the stand, the former Navy officer explained that his voluntary withdrawal was intended to relieve House prosecutors from mounting institutional and procedural constraints.
”Earlier in the day, I requested the House prosecution under Chair Jinky Luistro to formally withdraw my name as a witness for the prosecution,” Trillanes said. ”This way, the prosecution panel would be relieved from the pressure it is going through.”
Trillanes had been expected to serve as a key witness under Article II of the impeachment complaint, which addresses allegations of unexplained wealth and undisclosed financial assets linked to the Vice President. However, debates among senator-judges regarding trial sequence and the admissibility of preliminary financial testimony prompted adjustments in the prosecution’s strategy.
Despite stepping back from the formal court proceedings, Trillanes signaled that he intends to release his findings directly to the public.
”Having said that, magco-conduct ako ng press con bukas para ipresenta lahat ng ilalabas ko dapat sa impeachment trial,” Trillanes added.
Following the withdrawal, the House prosecution panel pivoted to calling representatives from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and banking institutions to present primary financial documentation directly before the Senate Impeachment Court.