Luistro: Matibag final witness against VP Sara for grave threats

House Lead Public Prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said that National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Atty. Melvin Matibag would be the final witness that they would present concerning the impeachment article against Vice President Sara Duterte on grave threats.

The development came as Luistro told the Senate impeachment court that it would be withdrawing a total of six witnesses from its list that were included within the pre-trial order under the aforementioned article.

One of the six witnesses that the solon said were no longer needed to prove their case was former Davao Regional Trial Court Sheriff Abe Andres who was repeatedly punched by then Mayor Duterte related to a tense demolition of informal settlers in Agda, Davao last 2011.

In explaining the reason behind the removal of Andres, Luistro said that it was already established between both parties that the said incident had in fact occurred through the presentation of their first two witnesses from the NBI.

Among the witnesses that were also withdrawn were two reporters from different media organizations who were present during the 23 November 2024 press conference wherein the Vice President uttered her threats against the President, first lady, and the former House speaker.

With a similar explanation on their withdrawal of Office of the Vice President (OVP) Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez and House official Capt. Belina Bello, the solon said that the use of the video of the defense meant that the recordings they had as evidence were authentic.

“The testimony of Agent Calilung already established that the video is authentic, plus considering, your honor, the defense subsequent admission that the same are authentic videos,” she said.

Another official that was removed from the witness list was a representative from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosive office that was said to attest to the possession of Duterte and her husband Atty. Mans Carpio of firearms.

It was House Public Prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon that previously revealed the information, noting that the weapons were supposedly undeclared on the Vice President’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

The two other witnesses that Luistro specified were no longer needed were a family member of a victim of the threats, and a psychiatrist both meant to establish not only the effect that the threats of Duterte had but also to prove that the latter had the capacity to prove that she had the capacity to carry out the threats.

Luistro reiterated that all points and reasons for the presentation of both witnesses were already substantially proven before the court.

Asked in a press conference after the trial regarding the decision, Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor, the lead prosecutor for the article on grave threats, said that the decision was ultimately made as they believed that their case was already set and that adding more evidence would simply do more harm than good.

“Tama na ang timpla, kung dadagdagan mo pa ang rekado baka mag-iba pa yung lasa. So titigil na kami,” Defensor said.

(The mixture is just right, adding more ingredients may just change the taste. So we will be stopping there)

Notably, during the impeachment trial, it was mentioned that Matibag would be called to testify on Tuesday, 21 July.