Prosecution to field OVP chief of staff Zuleika Lopez as witness in impeachment trial on July 14

The House prosecution panel will present Zuleika Lopez, the chief of staff of Vice President Sara Duterte as a witness in Duterte’s impeachment trial next week.

House prosecutor and Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor on Wednesday informed the Senate impeachment court of the decision after the defense argued that Lopez’s detention in the House of Representatives and transfer to the Correctional Institute for Women in 2024 prompted Duterte to issue threats against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and members of his family.

Defensor said Lopez will take the stand on Tuesday, July 14.

The prosecution said Lopez will be testifying on Article 4 of the Articles of Impeachment which accuses the Vice President of culpable violation of the Constitution, high crimes, and contracting betrayed public trust by contracting for the assassination of the President and his family members by making grave threats, and by actively inciting sedition against the republic.

In a press conference shared via live video on social media on November 2024, Duterte said, “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.)

The Vice President added that she instructed this said person that in the event of her death, she said efforts must be made to kill the said officials, to which she claimed the person agreed to.

Lopez, at that time, was in detention after she was cited in contempt by the House good government and public accountability panel over her “evasion” in answering questions from lawmakers as to how the Office of the Vice President’s confidential fund was being used. —RF, GMA News