VP Duterte defense team: No qualms over prosecution’s decision to withdraw Trillanes as witness

The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte said Thursday it respected the prosecution’s decision to drop former senator Antonio Trillanes IV as a witness in her impeachment trial.

Michael Poa, spokesperson for Duterte’s defense team, said they would have remained prepared to respond to the former senator’s testimony had the prosecution proceeded with presenting him before the Senate impeachment court.

“Sa amin naman po, we were really prepared with the list of witnesses that they gave initially. So kami po, naghanda po kung sino ang naka-assign,” he said during a press briefing following the 32nd day of the impeachment trial.

Poa said the defense would likewise respect any decision by the prosecution to withdraw other witnesses if it believes doing so would serve its strategy.

“If they think na better for their strategy to drop a witness, whoever it may be, not specifically [former] senator Trillanes, but whoever it may be, we will continue to respect that,” he said.

Trillanes later clarified that he had asked the House prosecution panel to withdraw him from the list of witnesses. This came after House lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro manifested that the prosecution would no longer present the former senator.

Trillanes, a vocal critic of the Duterte family, said he would instead hold a press briefing on Friday, Oct. 2, as the impeachment court turns to allegations involving Duterte’s unexplained wealth.

Meanwhile, the Senate impeachment court moved its next trial session to Monday, Oct. 5, after granting the defense’s request for additional time to prepare for the prosecution’s direct examination of Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura.

Poa said the defense needed more time to review the materials concerning Buenaventura’s testimony, noting that they only received a summary on Thursday morning.

-Paraluman News