House impeachment prosecutors have asked the Senate impeachment court to issue subpoenas requiring Vice President Sara Duterte’s chief of staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez, and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag to appear as witnesses in the ongoing impeachment proceedings.
The prosecution panel filed separate requests for subpoenas ad testificandum or orders requiring a person to testify, saying the testimonies of Lopez and Matibag are “material, relevant and necessary” to establish allegations under Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment.
Article IV accuses Duterte of making grave threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker and Leyte First District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
In their requests, prosecutors said both witnesses are needed to identify and authenticate documentary evidence and other materials that will be presented before the impeachment court.
The panel asked the Senate impeachment court to schedule the appearances of Lopez and Matibag during hearings set for July 13, 14, and 15.
Lopez, who serves as Duterte’s chief of staff, is expected to provide testimony on the circumstances surrounding the alleged threats and the events related to the statements that became the subject of the impeachment article.
Prosecutors said her position inside the Office of the Vice President gives her relevant knowledge that could help establish the context surrounding Duterte’s public remarks..
The prosecution said Lopez’s testimony would also help support other evidence it plans to present, particularly its argument that the statements made by Duterte went beyond political expression and constituted serious threats.
Meanwhile, Matibag is expected to testify regarding the NBI’s investigation into Duterte’s statements.
Prosecutors said the NBI director’s testimony would cover the basis of the bureau’s inquiry, the evidence gathered during the investigation, and the findings that prompted the agency to pursue a criminal investigation.
The prosecution also said Matibag’s appearance would allow the impeachment court to authenticate investigative documents and digital evidence collected by the NBI.
The panel said the NBI chief’s testimony would also establish that Duterte’s statements were not treated by authorities as ordinary political remarks but as matters that required formal government action.
The requests for subpoenas form part of the prosecution’s preparations as the impeachment trial moves forward under the Senate impeachment court.
The Senate earlier elected Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero as presiding officer of the proceedings after senators debated constitutional questions on who should lead the trial.
Escudero has said the burden of proof remains with the prosecution and that the impeachment court will allow both sides to present and challenge evidence while ensuring a fair proceeding.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
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