The Senate Impeachment Court has formally granted a request from the House prosecution panel to issue a subpoena ad testificandum to Zuleika Lopez, the chief of staff of the Office of the Vice President, requiring her to testify at the trial next week.
Presiding officer Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero signed off on the directive as Wednesday’s proceedings drew to a close.
Lopez’s upcoming testimony is considered crucial to the case. She was present at the House of Representatives on November 23, 2024, at the exact time Vice President Sara Duterte held a virtual press conference and allegedly made death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
This is not Lopez’s first time in the legislative spotlight; she was previously cited for contempt and detained by House lawmakers during an investigation into the suspected misuse of confidential funds under Duterte’s office and the Department of Education.
To further bolster their arguments regarding Article IV of the impeachment charges, prosecutors plan to call two additional witnesses: National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) lawyer Jeremy Lotoc and Captain Belinda Bello from the House Sergeant-at-Arms office.
While NBI Director Melvin Matibag has also been floated as a potential witness, Iloilo 3rd District Representative Lorenz Defensor stated that the panel’s decision remains fluid.
“Not yet, Your Honor; we will manifest on Monday if we can consider him for the Wednesday session, depending on how the trial goes and how long the testimony takes for both parties,” Defensor explained.
Meanwhile, Senator Escudero established a strict timeline for other evidence requests next week. The prosecution must submit a memorandum by Monday regarding their bid for a subpoena duces tecum to obtain the tax files of the Vice President’s husband, Atty. Mans Carpio.
Additionally, the impeachment court will host oral arguments on Wednesday to deliberate on whether to issue a subpoena duces tecum to Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) chairman Eli Remolona, Jr. for access to Duterte’s bank documents.