With the cross-examination of the defense of the segment, where Office of the Vice President (OVP) Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez claimed that there were threats to her life, and a spokesperson for the prosecution panel said that the presentation merely proved that she was material in the case.

In a statement after the trial, former congressman turned House prosecution spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers explained that the line of questioning of the defense during the hearing more than justified the need for Lopez to be presented during the trial.

“We noticed that the cross-examination mainly revolved around Atty. Zuleika Lopez, her reaction, her relationship with the Vice President, and the circumstances surrounding the statements tackled in this case,” Barbers said.

“If the defense itself sees it as an important discussion to explain the context of the statements, it only proves that Atty. Lopez is a material witness who has personal knowledge of important events,” he added.

The solon expressed satisfaction with their first witness, noting that the NBI official stood his ground despite questioning.

“The witness remained composed, consistent, and unwavering on every material point. After hours of cross-examination, the testimony stood exactly where it stood before the defense began its questioning,” he said.

“The defense was given every opportunity to challenge the witness. Yet the testimony remained intact, and the evidence presented by the prosecution remained unshaken,” he reiterated.

Adiong maintained that the first week of the trial demonstrated that the prosecutors’ evidence was solid, standing up to the adversarial testing by both the defense and the senator-judges.