NATION

Sara defense drops QC prosecutor after prosecution stipulation

Lisa Marie Apacible · Nov 12, 2026, 3:29 PM

Scenes from the 39th day of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, 13 October, 2026 in Pasay City. Senators tackle the prosecution’s request to withdraw Articles I, III and IV of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. The articles involve allegations of misuse of confidential funds, bribery, and grave threats, respectively. The proceedings also cover other procedural matters as the House prosecution panel moves to formally rest its case.| Aram Lascano, SPPA POOL

Vice President Sara Duterte's defense team on Thursday dropped Quezon City prosecutor Vimar Barcellano from its witness list after the House prosecution panel agreed to stipulate to the existence and origin of public documents he was supposed to authenticate.

Defense lead counsel Sheila Sison said Barcellano's testimony was no longer necessary as he was only expected to identify certified true copies of records from the Quezon City Office of the City Prosecutor.

“It's really just identification, Your Honor. Nothing on the substance of the document,” the defense told the Senate impeachment court.

House prosecution counsel Virgil Ligutan agreed to the stipulation, saying the documents were public records whose existence could be judicially recognized.

“These are public documents. Judicial notice that they do exist. So there's no need for that, Your Honor,” Ligutan said.

Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero approved the arrangement, allowing the documents to be presented for marking, with the prosecution retaining the right to comment on their formal offer as evidence.

The court granted the defense's request to dispense with Barcellano's testimony.

The 43rd day of the impeachment trial adjourned Thursday, with proceedings set to resume on 19 November.