Sara Duterte trial: NBI exec to testify on alleged hitman contract
MANILA, Philippines — National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc will lead off the second week of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Monday.
After spending the first three days examining senior NBI agent John Mark Calilung, the court will now hear from Lotoc, the prosecution’s second witness.
On Day 4 of the trial, the court will continue to tackle impeachment article number four, referring to Duterte’s alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and inciting to sedition charge.
READ: ICYMI: Sara Duterte impeachment trial Week 1 highlights
Sara Duterte’s alleged contracted ‘hitman’
The first case pertains to the online press briefing on November 2024 wherein the vice president said she had already contracted an individual to take down Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez
Complementary to Calilung, who preserved and verified through digital forensics the video of Duterte revealing the assassination plot, Lotoc is anticipated to testify regarding the existence of the supposed contracted “hitman.”
Lotoc had already previously confirmed the existence of an alleged assassin upon preliminary investigation, when the House Committee on Justice was hearing Duterte’s impeachment complaints.
READ: Prosecution: Sara Duterte’s hitman claim shows aim to kill president
Apart from the examination of witnesses, the impeachment court also scheduled on Monday the deadline for both the prosecution and the defense teams to submit their memoranda on the House request to subpoena Duterte’s bank and tax records.
After this, both sides will be given 10 minutes each to present their oral arguments on Wednesday.
READ: Sara Duterte impeachment trial: Subpoena served to VP’s aide Zuleika Lopez
Two more witnesses are expected to appear before the impeachment court within the week.
The House prosecution is set to present Duterte’s aide, Zuleika Lopez, on Tuesday — as she herself was in the press conference when Duterte made the alleged threats.
House Legislative Security Bureau Executive Director Capt. Belinda Bello, on the other hand, is expected to be called to the stand on Wednesday. /apl
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