The opening week of Vice President Sara Duterte’s Senate impeachment trial marked a crucial shift as the prosecution began transforming its formal accusations into concrete evidence, according to House prosecutor and Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima.
Speaking at a media forum on Saturday, De Lima, who is among the 11 lawmakers managing the case, explained that the initial proceedings successfully laid down the evidentiary groundwork for the articles of impeachment through both documents and witness testimonies.
“We saw first week as allegations turning into evidence,” De Lima said.
The former senator noted that the opening week allowed the team to present foundational proof that was immediately subjected to defense scrutiny.
“The first week was important because the prosecution started converting the allegations as contained in the articles of impeachment into evidence, which was tested or which was subjected to cross-examination,” she said.
The prosecution dedicated the initial week to Article IV of the complaint, which accuses the Vice President of grave threats and inciting to sedition. The charge stems from Duterte’s controversial November 23, 2024 remarks, where she claimed to have ordered the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the event that she herself was killed.
To anchor this specific charge, the prosecution summoned National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Senior Agent John Mark Calilung as its inaugural witness. Calilung’s testimony focused on confirming the authenticity of the video footage containing Duterte’s statements.
De Lima clarified that Calilung’s testimony is merely the starting point for Article IV, pointing out that a comprehensive case requires an array of testimonies.
“So hindi rin po ito nagtatapos sa isang testigo lang. Ang kabuuan po ng ebidensya, ang tunay na pundasyon ng isang kaso. Because every witness has a specific role to play,” she said.
Calilung is the first of 57 line-up witnesses the prosecution intends to call throughout the trial.
De Lima emphasized that subsequent witnesses will further substantiate the verified video evidence, provide context, and detail the results of the NBI’s investigation.
“Every prosecution starts with allegations and must end with proof,” she said.