By Billy Begas
The House prosecution panel will no longer call Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez and House Legislative Security Bureau Executive Director Capt. Belinda Bello to testify on the alleged grave threats committed by Vice President Sara Duterte.
During Tuesday’s Senate impeachment trial, House private prosecutor Atty. Lorna Kapunan said the prosecution panel decided not to present the two after evaluating the testimony and documentary evidence presented through its first two witnesses, National Bureau of Investigation officials John Mark Calilung and Jeremy Lotoc.
“It is the wisdom of the public prosecutors, as expressed through this representation, that we find it totally unnecessary, redundant, and a surplusage to still present Atty. Zuleika Lopez and, as well, Capt. Belinda Bello,” Kapunan told the impeachment court.
Kapunan explained that the prosecution had intended to present Lopez in connection with Duterte’s November 23, 2024, online press conference, where she allegedly threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
She said they had initially intended to present Lopez as a witness to testify that she was inside the House detention center when Duterte made the statements captured in the video, establish that members of the media were present and heard the Vice President’s remarks, and confirm the video’s authenticity and provenance.
Kapunan explained that Lopez is no longer needed because Duterte’s defense counsel, Mark Vinluan, acknowledged that the press conference took place, that the Vice President and Lopez were present, and that Duterte made the statements heard in the recording, while disputing the prosecution’s interpretation of the remarks.
She added that the intended authentication of the recording had likewise become unnecessary because the defense itself used portions of the same video during its presentation.
“Totally unnecessary because, why? Because the defense themselves used the very same video, that exhibit, in their defense when they showed Atty. Zuleika, crying and allegedly complaining about the violation of her human rights,” Kapunan said. “So by their own admission, there is no question about this video.”
Kapunan said Bello would have been called only to support evidence about the events preceding the online press conference, particularly the transfer of Lopez from the House detention facility.
“We have reduced trial dates by lessening our presentation on this article by two witnesses,” Kapunan said.
Kapunan clarified that the presentation of witnesses and evidence for Article IV is not yet over.—Politiko.com.ph
