MANILA, Philippines — Lead prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro clarified that she had no knowledge of any senator-judges exerting pressure on former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV to withdraw as a witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Luistro addressed reporters during a press conference following the 32nd day of proceedings on Thursday, October 1, stating:
“I don’t know any. Wala po akong alam na ganyang pressure coming from the senators, as you ask.”
The statement comes after Trillanes disclosed that he voluntarily requested the House panel to remove him from their list of witnesses to relieve the prosecution from ongoing strain.
According to Luistro, Trillanes initiated his own removal, making the decision not to present his testimony final after she formally announced it to the impeachment court.
“It was intimated to the team, to the prosecution team, of the decision of the former senator to withdraw his name among the list of witnesses for the prosecution. That is all,” she stated.
Declining to elaborate on the exact reasons behind the move, Luistro added that the former senator should personally explain his motives.
She further noted that the prosecution team had already been evaluating whether his testimony was still necessary given their extensive evidence under Article II, which addresses allegations of unexplained wealth against the Vice President.
“Well, the only pressure that I know is the remaining witnesses and the voluminous documents that we have yet to present. If he has different context of that pressure, better ask him,” Luistro said.
Despite the development, the lawmaker emphasized that removing Trillanes would not diminish the case against Duterte.
“There is none,” Luistro replied when asked if the move would impact their standing. “Because all our evidence are strong.”
Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan echoed this stance, stating the decision causes “no loss to the full development” of the charges since Trillanes’ earlier extensive testimony before the House Committee on Justice is already part of the official record.
Moving forward, the prosecution plans to call Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura to the stand, followed by representatives from seven banks along with seven insurance and financial institutions.
Luistro refrained from confirming whether the upcoming AMLC presentation rendered Trillanes’ appearance redundant.
“Let us stick to what Senator Trillanes said. Ang sabi niya, he initiated the withdrawal of his name in the list of witnesses. No more, no less,” she noted.