The Senate Impeachment Court has cleared former Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang to take the witness stand in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, over-ruling pushback from defense attorneys.
Presiding Officer and Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero authorized the House prosecution panel to present Cabotaje-Tang on the 24th day of the trial proceedings.
House prosecutor and Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno defended the move, stating that her testimony would clarify complex public accountability statutes that are often challenging for both legal professionals and the lay public to navigate.
The defense team strongly countered the prosecution’s request. Defense counsel Atty. Mark Vinluan argued that permitting her statements risks introducing legal conclusions that are solely the prerogative of the senator-judges to determine.
Members of the bench, including Senators Imee Marcos and Raffy Tulfo, similarly questioned the necessity of her appearance given her lack of direct factual evidence regarding the specific charges.
Escudero resolved the issue by noting the court did not need to definitively rule on her status as an expert witness, emphasizing that her insights carry no mandatory weight in the final verdict.
“Although she may be qualified as an expert, subject to cross, whatever Justice Cabotaje-Tang will say is not binding on the court, and her opinion is not conclusive upon the courts,” Escudero stated on Monday, September 14.
Escudero further noted that the defense retains full right to present counter-witnesses to challenge her statements.
“So the court will allow it. The comment of the counsel to respond is duly noted,” he said. “And if you want counsel, you can make your continuing objection on record in regard to this witness but still subject to cross.”
The presiding officer confirmed that Cabotaje-Tang will count toward the prosecution’s cap of 15 witnesses allocated for Article II of the impeachment complaint, which the panel plans to conclude within a 12-day window.
“If they want to charge this witness against their 15 witnesses in 12 days, that is totally up to them to decide upon and to, in their discretion and strategy, present any witness they may so present. Besides, the subpoena has been issued,” Escudero added.