Defensor: We're satisfied with day two of impeachment trial

House Public Prosecutor Rep. Lorenz Defensor said that their team was quite satisfied with the result of the second day of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte as the evidence concerning the latter’s verbal threats towards high-ranking officials were presented.

“We scored with the video that was presented that should be seen by the Senate impeachment court, we scored in the other statements that came from Vice President Sara Duterte that supports the articles of impeachment,” Defensor said in a press conference after the proceedings.

“We are very satisfied with the outcome of today’s trial and we hope to continue that and we will sustain that throughout the ninety days total of the impeachment trial days. We are ready to sustain this kind of trial,” he added.

During the second day of the trial, National Bureau of Investigations (NBI) senior agent John Mark Calilung was called to the witness stand as the first official witness of the prosecution for the fourth article of impeachment.

Calilung brought with him videos that were part of the investigation of the NBI in relation to the supposed contracting of the Vice President of an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Among the videos that were shown to the impeachment court, one of the most prominent pieces of evidence that the prosecutors had was a two minute and 18 second video where the aforementioned remarks were stated.

Defensor further commended Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero for being “fair” throughout the hearing and allowing the prosecution to present its evidence through the proper process.

“I’m happy and I hope that this will continue throughout the impeachment trial days as we go on, and that’s our only plea even before, for the evidence to be presented so both the senator-judges and the public can see the evidence,” he said.

Private prosecutors allowed to examine

Aside from his thoughts on the outcome of the proceedings, the lawmaker also addressed one of the concerns during the trial wherein the lawyer that was conducting the examination of Calilung was a private prosecutor in Atty. Armando Virgil Ligutan.

Defensor explained that private prosecutors were allowed to take the helm when it came to examining witnesses based on the Senate Rules of Impeachment, particularly as their entry of appearance was recognized during the first day of the trial.

“We have our own internal strategy, how to manage the witnesses and the lawyers assigned to the witnesses and I can’t tell you that for now,” he said.

The solon also reiterated that their team was fully prepared when it came to their approach to the trial, stating that he hoped that they would be allowed how they would do so to get the most information out of their witnesses.