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The prosecution sees no need to call Lopez as a witness because the defense team has already proven that Duterte issued a death threat against Marcos.
MANILA, Philippines – The prosecution withdrew its request to the trial court to allow Office of the Vice President Chief Zuleika Lopez to take a witness.
Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said on Tuesday, July 14, that it was absolutely unnecessary for the prosecution to call Lopez as a witness.
“We would like him to prove … that he was in custody when the Vice President made the statement that he had already contracted an assassin to kill the President, the First Lady, and the Speaker of the National Assembly,” Kapunan said.
“It has been agreed, by Lawyer (Mark) Vinluan who mentioned more than 10 times that the press conference was held, the Vice President and Zuleika (sic) there,” he added.
Lopez was in the Senate on Monday, July 13, and Tuesday, waiting to be called as a witness.
Had he been brought to trial, Lopez would have been a hostile witness for the prosecution.
Lopez was the reason for Duterte’s visit to the House of Representatives for the first time on November 21, 2024, when The Vice President locked himself in his brother’s office and then several days later held A bad virtual press conference where he threatened the life of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.
Lopez was then detained at the White House after being mentioned in contempt during the House government’s congressional committee investigating the alleged misappropriation of Duterte’s funds.
Duterte’s outburst was triggered when Lopez, during an online Zoom press conference on November 23, 2024, became confused after Congress ordered her transfer to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong City.
Lopez was supposed to be the only one to give an unauthorized press conference from detention but Duterte took over after his chief of staff suffered an anxiety attack.
Aside from Lopez, the prosecution also removed House security officer Belinda Bello from its witness list, saying her only goal was to prove the fact that there was an order to extradite Lopez. – Rappler.com
