Vice President Sara Duterte maintained Tuesday that the allegations against her are unsupported by evidence, as allegedly shown during the fourth day of her Senate impeachment trial.
Duterte gave the critique in a statement released as the Senate started to reconvene for Day 5 of the impeachment trial.
"The country witnessed what I have been saying all along: the complaint is not supported by evidence," the Vice President said.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc on Tuesday said he believes "Operation Romanov" referred to an alleged assassination plot against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and the First Family—not Vice President Sara Duterte.
Lotoc, a witness presented by the House prosecution panel, made the statement after Senator-Judge Panfilo Lacson asked whether he had the impression that the supposed "Oplan Romanov" threat was directed at the Vice President.
Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Tuesday reminded the defense and prosecution to refrain from issuing side remarks in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Escudero issued the reminders as lawyer Mark Vinluan, one of Duterte’s legal counsels, continued his cross-examination to lawyer Jeremy Lotoc, director for the National Bureau of Investigation in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, on the fifth day of the impeachment proceedings.
Vinluan questioned if the NBI issued a subpoena or personally corresponded to First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez as part of their investigation into Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during a late-night press conference in November 2024.
“Yet you concluded they were victims…Without any personal correspondences with them, you came out with the conclusion,” Vinluan said.
To which Lotoc answered: The evidence is clear, sir”.
“According to you,” Vinluan said, earning a reaction from the audience.
Private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan immediately objected Vinluan’s remarks and moved for the latter to be “admonished for stating those unprofessional remarks.”
“We are infront of national TV. That is his answer. If you are not satisfied with his answer, please do not lay any value to what the witness answered,” Ligutan said.
Escudero, for his part, reminded the parties to avoid issuing side remarks and ordered for Vinluan’s statements be stricken off the record.
“Kindly avoid side remarks. Henceforth, the presiding officer will have it stricken off the records and whatever question you pose and afterwards withdraw, will likewise be stricken off the records as to avoid any attempts of showmanship usually seen on TV, yes, will not be tolerated by this impeachment court,” he added.
Malacañang on Tuesday rejected claims of Vice President Sara Duterte's lawyers that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) could not conduct an impartial investigation into her alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. because the bureau is under the Department of Justice (DOJ), which is part of the executive branch.
During a Balitanghali interview, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the defense lawyers themselves should understand the NBI’s legal mandate as she questioned why they were only raising the issue now.
“Unang-una naman, lawyer naman sila at alam naman nila kung ano ba ang mandato ng NBI at alam naman nila na ito ay nasa Department of Justice,” she said.
(First of all, they're lawyers and they know the NBI's mandate, and that it is under the Department of Justice.)
Castro stressed that the issue was not the agency conducting the investigation but the statements made by the Vice President, which, she said, were publicly available.
Office of the Vice President (OVP) chief of staff Zuleika Lopez, the longtime aide of Vice President Sara Duterte, arrived at the Senate on Tuesday, the fifth day of the impeachment trial of the country's second highest official.
Lopez came at the Senate past 1 p.m. ahead of the resumption of the trial at 2 p.m.
Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial resumes Tuesday, July 14.
Here are some of the things to expect on Day 5 of the trial:
Zuleika Lopez, one of Vice President Sara Duterte’s closest aides, is expected to be called by the prosecution to take the stand on Tuesday, July 14 for an article of impeachment detailing the alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.
Lopez was issued a subpoena compelling her to appear before the court on July 13 and July 14 to provide "material testimony" in relation to the case.
Senate impeachment court spokesperson Reginald Tongol said the court may order Lopez to explain her absence should she fail to appear and testify.
Prior to Lopez, Duterte’s defense team will continue the cross examination of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Bangsamoro regional director Jeremy Lotoc.
During yesterday's hearing, Lotoc said NBI found that Duterte committed the crime of grave threats and inciting to sedition.
The prosecution on Monday presented National Bureau of Investigation regional director Jeremy Lotoc as its second witness on the continuation of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The House prosecution team on Monday said it remains focused on building an “airtight” case against the vice president instead of speculating on the number of votes needed for a conviction in her impeachment trial. Lawyer Jay Tolosa—one of the private prosecutors on the House prosecution panel's roster, as well as the team's legal spokesperson—said the prosecution’s strategy has remained unchanged despite discussions surrounding the interpretation of the Senate’s voting threshold.
House prosecutors said Duterte’s possible attendance at the impeachment trial would not affect the prosecution’s strategy or presentation of evidence. Representative Ace Barbers said the prosecution is prepared to present its witnesses and evidence regardless of who attends the proceedings.
Prosecution continued presenting evidence on Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which concerns the alleged grave threats made by Vice President Sara Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The recommendations of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are not binding upon the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the local courts, an official said Monday.
Testifying on Duterte’s impeachment trial, NBI-Bangsamoro Regional Director Atty. Jeremy Lotoc on Monday.
“The DOJ will assess and evaluate,” Lotoc told the Senate impeachment court.
The second week of Duterte’s impeachment trial opened with Lotoc, testifying on Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which concerns the alleged grave threats and assassination plot targeting President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
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