Chief of staff's detention prompted VP Sara's alleged grave threats —defense

Vice President Sara Duterte's alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. were prompted by the detention of her chief-of-staff, her defense team argued Wednesday, as the impeachment trial entered its third day.

Carlo Joaquin Narvasa, one of Duterte's legal counsel, cross-examined National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Senior Agent John Mark Calilung, who was presented by the House prosecution panel as its first witness on Tuesday.

During the cross-examination, a portion of a virtual press conference of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez was played, showing an emotional Lopez objecting to her possible transfer to the Women's Correctional while detained at the House of Representatives.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, following the video, asked Narvasa if Duterte's incitements were prompted by Lopez's detention. Narvasa answered in the affirmative.

"There was a systematic oppression made by the House of Representatives dating back...even before their mini-trial, your Honor, the Committee headed by Cong. Chua began investigating the Vice President and her people. Even when Atty. Zuleika is being interviewed by the QuadComm even if she was answering the questions faithfully and the best of her ability, she was cited in contempt and detained. Her lawyer was not allowed to be with her when they were trying to detain her in the Women's Correctional Facility," he said.

Hontiveros then inquired if the defense's position is that alleged grave threats could be excused if there is a legitimate basis for it. He answered: "Your Honor, that is not the point".

Presiding officer Francis "Chiz" Escudero reminded senator-judges to refrain from making counsel draw legal conclusions.

"We would like to remind the senator-judges to be cautious in making counsel for either party draw conclusions of law," he said.

To recall, Lopez was ordered detained after she was cited in contempt by the House panel for her supposed "undue interference" in the panel’s investigation into the confidential funds of the offices held by Duterte.

The Senate impeachment court is conducting a hearing on Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte. It centers on the alleged grave threats and an assassination plot by the Vice President against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez. —LDF, GMA News