The House prosecution panel on Thursday announced that it would no longer present former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV as a witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro informed the Senate impeachment court of the decision during the 32nd day of the trial.
“The prosecution has finally decided not to present former senator Sonny Trillanes,” Luistro told the court.
“We seek the kind indulgence of the honorable impeachment court for the belated final position on this particular concern,” she added.
The decision came a day after the prosecution said it was prepared to present Trillanes along with officials from the Land Registration Authority (LRA) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) as it continued presenting evidence under Article II of the impeachment case.
Prosecutors had expected Trillanes’ testimony to touch on financial records and allegations concerning Duterte’s wealth. The prosecution had also been reviewing the sequence of witnesses after senator-judges raised questions about whether AMLC officials should testify first to establish the relevant financial records.
Earlier, Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero declined to issue a subpoena compelling Trillanes to appear on Day 32. The impeachment court, however, issued a subpoena covering October 1 and 2 for AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura. G
Luistro did not state in her announcement the specific reason the prosecution ultimately decided not to call Trillanes.
The prosecution is currently presenting evidence under Article II, which involves allegations of unexplained wealth, financial transactions, business interests and alleged deficiencies in Duterte’s disclosure of assets and liabilities. Duterte has denied wrongdoing in the impeachment case.
