MANILA, Philippines β The House prosecution panel on Tuesday said it intends to present Vice President Sara Duterte herself as a witness in her ongoing impeachment trial before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, in connection with allegations of alleged misuse of confidential funds.
During Day 23 of the proceedings, private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan informed the Senate impeachment court that the prosecution had already concluded the presentation of evidence under Article 1 of the Articles of Impeachment, which centers on the alleged misuse or misappropriation of β±612.5 million in confidential funds.
Kapunan said the prosecution is now shifting its strategy by presenting the Vice President as a key witness, stressing that the evidence already presented points to her as the primary accountable official in the case.
βAll of these pawns, castles, horses, and bishops point to only one personβthe Vice President,β Kapunan said, emphasizing that the remaining phase of the case will focus on establishing direct accountability through Duterteβs own testimony.
She also compared the impeachment proceedings to a chess game, saying the Vice President plays a central role in the controversy, likening her to a βqueenβ whose movements reflect the broader actions being examined by the court.
βIn this game of chess, the queen is more important because she can move in many directionsβand we have seen that in the evidence presented,β she added.
The prosecution maintained that Duterte remains the principal official responsible for the questioned confidential fund disbursements and said her testimony is necessary to fully address the allegations under the impeachment complaint.
The Senate impeachment court continues to hear arguments from both the prosecution and defense as the high-profile trial moves forward. #
