MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution panel at the House of Representatives said Wednesday its impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte was strong even without her testimony, despite keeping open the possibility of calling her to the witness stand.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua said the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence in the two articles it has tackled — the alleged grave threats under Article IV and alleged misuse of confidential funds under Article I.
“We believe that whether she appears or not, our case is strong,” Chua said.
The prosecution nevertheless reserved the right to present Duterte as a witness after completing its presentation on Article I, with Chua saying she could address allegations across all four articles of impeachment.
Chua said Duterte’s testimony could also address gaps raised during the confidential fund proceedings, particularly on the ultimate recipients of the money.
Former Office of the Vice President special disbursing officer Gina Acosta testified that she turned over P125 million in confidential funds to then-OVP security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica on Duterte’s instruction but did not know where the money eventually went.
Chua said this made Duterte a potentially important witness, but stressed that the prosecution did not consider her testimony necessary to establish its case.
If Duterte eventually testifies, she would be subject to cross-examination by the prosecution, which Chua said would allow them to test the truthfulness of her statements.
