Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial Day 3: What to expect

The House prosecution panel has introduced its very first witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. On Wednesday, he is expected to be cross-examined by the Defense.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) senior agent John Mark Calilung on Tuesday told the Senate impeachment court that he personally preserved and authenticated the video of the virtual press conferences of Duterte in November 2024, where she said she contracted someone supposedly to kill President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and members of his family, if she herself gets killed.

Calilung was specifically testifying on Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President, detailing the supposed grave threat and assassination plot against Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The Defense team tried to have Calilung’s testimony be excluded, but Senate impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero denied the motion.

Calilung is set for cross-examination by the Defense on Wednesday, the third day of the impeachment trial.

Also expected this day is the ruling on whether the entire two-hour and 26-minute video of Duterte’s controversial press conference will be played during the trial.

Only a portion of the two-hour video was played on the second day of the trial, featuring the Vice President saying “Huwag kang mag-alala, Ma'am sa security ko, kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sabi ko sa kanya, kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez.”

(Don't worry about my security because I have already spoken to someone. I told that person that if I am killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.)

On Tuesday, Duterte also showed up at the Senate for a meeting with her lawyers ahead of the resumption of the trial. She said that she will be "bloodied but unbowed" amid her impeachment trial.

It is uncertain, however, whether the Vice President will return to the Senate on Wednesday.

Duterte is facing an impeachment trial for alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes.

Under the approved 92-day trial period, the impeachment court allotted 62 trial days for the prosecution to present its case and 30 trial days for the defense.—AOL, GMA News