2 NBI execs among first witnesses called to testify in Duterte trial

MANILA, Philippines — Two officials from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will serve as the first set of witnesses summoned for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

This comes as the Senate impeachment court started issuing subpoenas on Monday.

During the latter part of the trial’s first day, presiding officer and Senator-judge Francis Escudero directed the clerk of court, Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr., to read the individuals listed for subpoena.

This is following the request of the House of Representatives’ prosecution panel.

Two names were mentioned for the July 7 to July 8 trial: Lawyer Jeremy Lotoc, regional director for NBI, and John Mark Calilung, senior NBI agent.

“Now, insofar as the subpoena presented by the prosecution for the two NBI agents, may I request the clerk of court to kindly read the motion for the issuance of subpoena ad testificandum?” Escudero requested.

“The prosecution, through the undersigned public prosecutors, respectfully request the issuance of subpoena ad testificandum, directing the following witnesses to appear and testify before the Honorable Impeachment Court on July 6, July 7, and July 8, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. as their testimonies are material and relevant and necessary to establish the allegations under Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, as well as matters necessarily incidental thereto,” Bantug said.

Before Escudero approved the motion, Duterte’s lawyers complained that they were not able to object to the prosecution’s request for a subpoena on the two NBI personnel.

Escudero then reminded the defense panel that they had not made any comment regarding the particular witnesses listed by the prosecution in its pre-trial brief.

“The presiding officer earlier mentioned that the court is not in receipt of any objection from the respondent. But just to set the record straight, the respondent has not received any copy of the request for subpoena being mentioned today, Your Honor,” Sison explained.

“What we received, your Honor, was a manifestation containing the list of the witnesses of the prosecution for July 6, 7 and 8,” Sison said.

“It would be impossible for the defense, for the respondent, to object or to even comment on a request that we were not served with any copy with,” she added.

“The two witnesses against two subpoenas have been requested by the prosecution or mentioned in the pre-trial brief of the prosecution, and were not commented on by the respondents in their pre-trial brief,” Escudero replied.

“But if you do have any objections now, the court would be more than glad; or reservations, the court would be more than glad to hear it, before ruling on the motion,” he said.

Eventually, Sison said that they will just “place on record our objections as the testimonial evidence is presented.”

The prosecution’s pre-trial brief was included in the list of witnesses to be presented by the prosecution for Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment — the provision that addresses Duterte’s threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

The allegation of threats occurred during an online press briefing last November 23, 2024 after she visited her chief of staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, who was detained inside the House premises at that time.

Lopez was cited for contempt by the House committee on good government and public accountability, for supposedly committing undue interference during the panel’s investigation of the alleged confidential fund (CF) misuse within Duterte’s offices.

But instead of leaving the House premises after her visit, Duterte went to her brother’s office and locked herself inside, after merely claiming to be leaving durian.

As she was infuriated over Lopez’s detention and subsequent attempts to transfer her, Duterte badmouthed the Marcos couple and Romualdez.  

At one point, Duterte was asked if she was concerned about her security. She replied by urging people not to worry since she had contracted an assassin to kill the three, if she herself would get killed.

READ: Sara Duterte’s kill remark vs Marcos is ‘active threat’ – Palace 

The matter was then investigated by the NBI. 

Under the prosecution’s pre-trial brief, Lotoc will be asked to confirm NBI’s probe of the incident, while Calilung will prove that he was the agent who investigated and authenticated the veracity of the livestream.

The Senate Impeachment Court convened on Monday to start the trial of Duterte, who was impeached by the House last May 11. 

A total of 257 House lawmakers voted in favor of adopting House Resolution (HR) No. 989 which contains the Articles of Impeachment while only 25 members voted against, and nine abstained.

The three other grounds mentioned in the Articles of Impeachment are the following:

• Culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust through the systematic liquidation misuse, misappropriation, and irregular of confidential funds amounting to P500 million under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million under the Department of Education (DepEd)
• Culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust when Duterte amassed unexplained wealth manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income and earnings during her incumbency as a public official
• Bribery, graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust when she gave monetary gifts or payments to DepEd officials to induce the violation and circumvention of procurement and other related laws /apl