Sara Duterte impeachment: Prosecution drops 6 witnesses on alleged threat vs. Marcos

The prosecution panel on Wednesday said that it would no longer present six of its witnesses on Article 4 in the impeachment trial, regarding the threat Vice President Sara Duterte supposedly made against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and ex-Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro told the impeachment court that the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation director Melvin Matibag would be sufficient in proving Article 4.

Luistro said the prosecution will no longer present the following witnesses:

• a representative from the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office;
• journalist Mikhail Flores of Reuters;
• journalist Bonz Magsumbol of Rappler;
• Sheriff Abe Andres;
• a family member of a victim of threats; and
• a psychiatrist.

“The testimony of Agent Calilung already established that the video is authentic, plus considering, Your Honor, the defense's subsequent admission that the same are authentic videos, both parties have sufficiently established already the circumstances surrounding the statements made by the respondent in the authenticated video," Luistro said.

"Your Honor, this renders Atty. Melvin Matibag, the NBI director, as our last witness for threat who will be testifying this coming Tuesday,” she added.

“Malakas na ang kaso. Kumpleto na ang ebidensiya. Lahat ng labis ay masama,” Luistro added in a press conference.

(The case is already strong. The evidence is complete. Too much of anything is bad.)

Prosecutor and Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor agreed, saying it is about the quality, not quantity, of witnesses.

“Tama na ang timpla. Kapag dinagdagan mo pa ng rekado, baka mag-iba ang lasa,” Defensor added.

(We already figured out the good taste. If we continue to add ingredients, it could ruin the taste.)

Matibag was supposed to testify on Monday, July 20, but the Senate moved its voting day on the prosecution’s motion seeking subpoena of the bank and tax records of Vice President Duterte on Monday instead of today, July 15. –NB, GMA News