The prosecution said its unexplained wealth case against Vice President Sara Duterte is not weakened by the withdrawal of former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV as a witness in the impeachment trial.
Lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said that before Trillanes’ decision not to testify in the trial, there had been a long discussion about whether to present him or not.
It became final when he initiated the withdrawal of his name, Luistro said.
Asked if there is an effect on the strength of its case, she said there is none.
“Because all our evidence are strong,” she said in a press conference.
Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said the decision not to present Trillanes was not arbitrary. The situation is dynamic and decisions are made based on the circumstances, Kapunan said.
She cited Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero’s statement asking the prosecution to reassess Trillanes’ presentation.
She also noted that Trillanes’ testimony before the House Committee on Justice during deliberations on the impeachment complaint is already part of the record because the Impeachment Court had taken judicial notice of it.
“There is no loss to the full development of this article (of impeachment) because what Sen. Trillanes would have testified on is already part of the record,” she said.
Kapunan also said it may be better for Trillanes to speak in a press conference, as he announced.
“It may be, in fact, more exciting because he will not be covered by the sub judice rule. So you can ask him anything and everything,” she said.
Asked if senator-judges’ sentiments had something to do with dropping Trillanes as a witness, Luistro said the only consideration was Trillanes’ own decision to have his name withdrawn from the list of witnesses.