Hours of cross-examination failed to discredit prosecution witnesses or make them withdraw their testimony on the authenticity, content and gravity of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s recorded threats, a House prosecutor said.
House prosecutor and Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor maintained that the prolonged questioning instead gave the witnesses repeated opportunities to explain the evidence and show that they had nothing to conceal.
“Kahit dalawa, tatlo, at apat na oras mong i-cross-examine ang aming testigo, wala kang mapipiga sa testigong nagsasabi ng totoo at walang itinatago,” stressed Defensor.
The defense devoted considerable time to questioning the witnesses about the handling and authentication of the recordings, the investigative documents and the basis of the National Bureau of Investigation’s conclusions.
“That is why the prosecution is confident that we have presented our case clearly to the Impeachment Court, as well as to all Filipinos who are watching the impeachment proceedings,” he explained.
Article IV concerns Duterte’s recorded statements regarding President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Prosecutors have presented technical and investigative witnesses ahead of NBI Director Melvin Matibag’s completion of the bureau’s account of the case.
“The prosecution has greatly benefited from the pace of the trial. Kasi paulit-ulit na lumalabas yung aming ebidensya, at paulit-ulit na nasasabi ng aming mga testigo bakit ito naging violation, hindi lang sa batas as a threat, but it’s a violation of the Constitution in the form of betrayal of public trust,” Defensor pointed out.
While acknowledging concerns over the pace of the proceedings, Defensor attributed the lengthy hearings to the defense’s extended questioning rather than to the prosecution’s presentation of evidence.
He said Matibag’s testimony would connect the remaining portions of the NBI investigation, eliminating the need to call additional witnesses who would merely repeat matters already established.
“After the testimony of Director Matibag, it will be the right time to stop, Naging matatag at malinaw ang pag-presenta ng aming ebidensya. Our witnesses who are credible, have said that the case is airtight at sigurado silang the threat is real,” he stressed.
“Tama na ang timpla. Kung dadagdagan mo pa ang rekado, baka mag-iba pa yung lasa,” Defensor added.