The House prosecution panel is expected to present around 25 witnesses in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, with much of the testimony set to center on allegations involving confidential funds, unexplained wealth, and bribery.
Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro, who heads the House prosecution team, said efforts were underway to streamline the witness list and focus on individuals whose testimonies would directly support the key accusations outlined in the four articles of impeachment.
“We are trying to narrow down… the number of witnesses to such number only. And we’re focusing only on the witnesses who will be testifying on the most important allegations. We are doing away with a lot of corroborative witnesses,” Luistro said in an interview.
The impeachment complaint accuses Duterte of several offenses, including the alleged misuse of confidential funds, possession of unexplained wealth, bribery and graft, as well as issuing threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez.
According to Luistro, the charges involving confidential funds and unexplained wealth are expected to require the largest number of witnesses because of the extensive documentary evidence connected to the allegations.
“Perhaps you can also include bribery. For threat, there will be few witnesses only,” she said.
The lead prosecutor revealed that a number of prospective witnesses had previously appeared before the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability during its investigation into the alleged misuse of confidential funds in the 19th Congress.
“It is not my intention to disclose the names, but at least you can identify already who these people are because they are the same people who were presented during the committee on good government hearing, yung mga taong involved sa utilization ng confidential funds, as well as in the distribution of the alleged payola envelopes (those people involved in the utilization of confidential funds, as well as in the distribution of the alleged payola envelopes),” Luistro added.
She also confirmed that Ramil Madriaga, who was identified during earlier congressional hearings as an alleged former bagman of the Vice President, is among those being considered as witnesses for the prosecution.
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is likewise expected to take the witness stand after previously submitting documents and publicly raising allegations concerning Duterte’s purported unexplained wealth.
Despite the preparations, Luistro emphasized that the witness lineup has not yet been finalized and could still be adjusted as prosecutors continue reviewing their legal approach and the evidence needed to support each article of impeachment.