PASAY CITY — The Senate impeachment court has not issued a subpoena directing former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to appear as a witness in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte regarding Article II, court spokesperson Atty. Regie Tongol stated on Sunday, September 27.
Speaking during a press briefing, Tongol clarified that while the prosecution requested Trillanes’ appearance for the upcoming week, no order has been served.
Subpoenas also remain pending for three other potential witnesses linked to Article II, which centers on allegations of unexplained wealth: Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Ronnel Buenaventura, alongside Marco Pineda and Kathy Florence Baldonado from the Davao City Register of Deeds.
The prosecution intends to call Trillanes to testify on allegations that the Vice President accumulated unexplained wealth and received funds from sources detailed in court filings. In April, during the House Committee on Justice’s preliminary hearings, Trillanes claimed that Duterte and her immediate family received ₱181 million from a suspected drug lord.
Addressing potential defense challenges regarding witnesses tied to Duterte’s financial records, Tongol noted that the defense retains full legal standing to oppose such summonses.
”We do not expect that from the defense, but if they have grounds for it, it’s up to them. It is their prerogative to file any motion regarding any of the witnesses being subpoenaed,” Tongol said.
”They can either oppose the issuance of the subpoena or seek to quash the subpoena,” he added.
Trial proceedings resume Monday, September 28, with the defense set to begin cross-examination of Rendell Sopeña, division chief of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS).
Sopeña, who oversees the PhilGEPS database, testified on issues concerning Duterte’s alleged corporate holdings and financial interests.
“Tomorrow (Monday), we expect that after the testimony of Rendell Sopeña, the PhilGEPS division chief, the cross-examination, redirect examination and re-cross-examination will begin, followed by interjections from the senator-judges,” Tongol said.
Tongol noted that should time run short on Monday, the prosecution might reschedule testimony from another witness, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.
”Of course, we don’t want to disrupt the flow of the witness’s testimony, so it may be moved to another day,” he said.
A representative from the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Unit is also scheduled to testify on Monday regarding the Vice President’s registered firearms.
The impeachment court’s daily hearing schedule is set from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from September 28 through September 30, shifting to full-day sessions on October 1–2, 5–9, and 12–15.