Impeachment Trial ⚖️
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INSIDE THE COURTROOM UPDATE - July 13, Monday The curses of Sara Duterte The courtroom listened as House prosecutors played a video of Vice President Sara Duterte. In the recording, Duterte hurled profanities at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, former House speaker Martin Romualdez, Manila 3rd Representative Joel Chua, and other members of Congress. She cursed eight times, repeatedly using the word “putangina,” enunciating it with emphasis. Some members of the public seated in the gallery smirked. So did the staff of some senators. The senator-judges and House prosecutors, however, remained expressionless. Sara’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, was known for his speech laced by profanity. When he cursed, the crowd cheers. @here
The court strikes from the record a seeming swipe by Vinluan against NBI's Jeremy Lotoc.
During the cross-examination, Lotoc said it was clear to him that based on the evidence, President Marcos and his family were victims of grave threats.
Vinluan commented, "According to you."
Prosecution's Ligutan objected and moved to have the court admonish Vinluan.
Escudero rules to strike Vinluan's comment from the record.
"This is a reminder for counsel for both parties, kindly avoid side remarks," Escudero. "Whatever question you pose and afterwards withdraw will likewise be stricken from the records as to avoid any attempt at showmanship usually seen on TV."
Vinluan asks Lotoc again regarding NBI affidavits related to VP Sara Duterte's alleged threats.
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Vinluan asks Lotoc again regarding additional affidavits attached to the NBI complaint.
The defense lawyer presses the NBI official regarding the "additional" documents, but Lotoc reiterates that this was in compliance with the DOJ's order to provide additional evidence.
What’s this ‘Operation Romanov’ vs Sara Duterte?
The threat is called 'Operation Romanov' which takes inspiration from the tragic life of the Romanovs in Russia
Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/operation-romanov-vs-sara-duterte/
The discussion now shifts to this: Why didn't President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. file an affidavit over the alleged threats?
Prosecution lawyer Amando Ligutan reiterates that based on jurisprudence, the prosecution may pursue an investigation even without the participation of the victims. This is in response to Senator-judge Pia Cayetano's question.
Ligutan, in his answer to Pia Cayetano’s question, cites two Supreme Court rulings — Santiago Paera vs People of the Philippines and Garma y Miguel vs People of the Philippines — to assert that private complainants are not required to execute an affidavit or testify that they felt a grave threat to their lives — to prove the guilt of the accused.
The defense team's Mark Vinluan qualifies it by insisting VP Sara Duterte's statements against President Marcos are not "threats" but a "response" to a question-and-answer round during a virtual press conference.
The defense now zeroes in on the alleged inciting to sedition committed by the Vice President.
NBI BARMM chief Jeremy Lotoc says inciting to sedition is committed by a person who incite others to overthrow the government. Defense lawyer Mark Vinluan asks him because the defense's point is that Duterte did not commit this because the Marcos presidency is very much intact.
Lotoc says the act of overthrowing needs not to be committed to constitute inciting to sedition – incitement itself is enough.
Impeachment court discusses: What constitutes a grave threat?
Senator-judge Pia Cayetano asks the prosecution and defense teams, as well as NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, what their legal appreciation of a “grave threat” is, and whether it is necessary for the subject of the threat to seek legal action.
The prosecution's Amando Ligutan says Supreme Court rulings assert that private complainants are not required to execute an affidavit or testify that they felt a grave threat to their lives to prove the guilt of the accused.
The defense team's Mark Vinluan qualifies it by insisting that Vice President Sara Duterte's statements against President Marcos are not "threats" but a "response" to a question-and-answer round during a virtual press conference. | via @Dwight de Leon - Rappler
Where is Vinluan going with his cross-examination?
Basically, defense lawyer Mark Vinluan argues that grave threats and inciting sedition are not impeachable offenses, but rather regular crimes or felonies punishable under the country's criminal laws.
I interviewed prosecutor Keith Flores earlier. He insisted that Vice President Sara Duterte’s kill threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. meets the standards of an impeachable offense.
He says that Duterte’s trial is not merely a criminal case for grave threats, but a determination of whether the Vice President — and impeachable officer — is fit to assume the country’s second highest post.
INSIDE THE COURTROOM, July 14
One of the senator’s staff seated in front of me was reading Rappler on her laptop during the fifth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Redirect now ongoing.
NBI's Jeremy Lotoc says that when he watched the November 26 interview of Sara Duterte, three days after the infamous press conference, his impression was that the VP was not joking when she made the kill threat against President Marcos.
No threats found vs Sara Duterte, says NBI
NBI official Jeremy Lotoc says the Office of the Vice President 'did not provide any information' that can help them in their investigation
Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/no-threats-found-sara-duterte-nbi-impeachment-trial/
Lotoc says Marcos did not intervene in probe vs Sara Duterte over kill threat
Lotoc says typographical errors in NBI docs do not have effect on the agency's findings.
"Those typographical errors do not alter the fact that the video exists, that VP uttered those statements, and that the NBI findings are that she committed grave threats and inciting to sedition."
That answer by Lotoc extends even to inconsistencies in the docketing number of NBI documents with the DOJ.
Ligutan’s line of questioning highlights that Duterte’s failure to appear before the NBI after it invited her made the agency unable to investigate her claims of threats to her life.
Lotoc reiterates: freedom of speech protects lawful expression, but not utterances that satisfy elements of a criminal offense like Duterte’s kill threat.
Lotoc says Sara Duterte betrayed public trust when she made kill threat vs Marcos
Prosecution now says it is "totally unnecessary" to still present OVP chief of staff Zuleika Lopez as a witness.
So is the prosecution withdrawing their request to let her take the witness stand?
Why does the prosecution find it unnecessary to present Lopez? Kapunan says it’s because the defense already admitted she was present at the detention center when Duterte made the kill threat vs Marcos.
JUST IN: Prosecution withdraws request to let Zuleika Lopez take witness stand @here
Prosecution says it will also no longer call House security officer Belinda Bello.
INSIDE THE COURTROOM UPDATE - July 14, Tuesday When Sara Duterte’s bar score was flexed, higher scorers were in the room Defense lawyer Mark Vinluan found an opportunity to flex Vice President Sara Duterte’s bar exam performance. He asked witness and NBI official Jeremy Lotoc whether he knew Duterte earned her law degree and passed the bar on her first attempt with 80%. Vinluan said Duterte “has a higher grade than most of the lawyers” inside the plenary. The remark drew an immediate reaction inside the chamber filled with lawyers. Some lawyers smirked. Others laughed. A few simply let out a heavy sigh. For the record, there were lawyers in the room who scored higher than Duterte. House prosecutor and Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima placed eighth in the bar exams with a rating of 86.26% in 1985. Meanwhile, House private prosecutor Reynaldo Robles ranked 10th in the 1990 bar exam, socring 87.01%. There's also House private prosecutor Marforth Fua, who scored 81.20% and ranked 8th in 2007 bar exam. @here
Ligutan objected to Vinluan’s statement. Escudero, meanwhile, advised the two lawyers to avoid “disparaging statements, given that there are a lot of lawyers here and you don't know what their grades are.”
Prosecution drops Zuleika Lopez as witness in VP Sara Duterte trial
The prosecution finds it unnecessary to call Lopez as a witness because the defense team already confirmed that Duterte made the kill threat against Marcos
Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/prosecution-drops-zuleika-lopez-witness-sara-duterte-impeachment-trial/
Sara Duterte trial: On Day 5, prosecution seeks to paint defense as nitpickers
'Is that the best you can do? Maybe you should do a little bit better,' Congressman Terry Ridon tells Vice President Sara Duterte's lawyers
Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/prosecution-seeks-paint-sara-duterte-defense-team-nitpickers-trial-july-14-2026/
Trial Day 5: Sara Duterte camp casts doubt on NBI witness’ credibility
The defense also downplays the inciting to sedition allegation against Duterte, as well as the seriousness of her alleged grave threats against President Marcos
Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/sara-duterte-defense-casts-doubt-nbi-witness-credibility-inciting-sedition-impeachment/