Defense panel tries to discredit prosecution’s witness at impeachment trial

Vice President Duterte’s lawyers tried to discredit the testimony of a prosecution witness ,casting doubts on the law enforcement agency’s investigation into threats against the president.

NBI regional director Jeremy Lotoc on his second day as a witness at Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. Screengrab from livestream.

Manuel Mogato | July 14, 2026

MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte’s lawyers tried to discredit the testimony of a prosecution witness from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), casting doubts on the law enforcement agency’s investigation into threats against the president and two others.

Lawyer Mark Vinluan peppered NBI regional director Jeremy Lotoc on the second day of cross-examination about the procedure and manner of investigation, suggesting that the law enforcement agency erred in the appreciation of Duterte’s death threats during an online press conference in November 2024.

Vinluan said Duterte was “merely responding to a question-and-answer session during the press conference and did not threaten the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House of Representatives.”

He said the vice president’s utterances did not constitute a crime of grave threats but were within her rights under freedom of expression.

During the same cross-examination, Vinluan raised an issue that Duterte was also the subject of a threat that the NBI failed to investigate.

He talked about a certain “Oplan Romanov”, which was mentioned by a Duterte supporter during the online press conference, posted by lawyer Harry Roque, a Duterte political ally, on his Facebook page.

The Romanovs ruled Russia before the family was overthrown by the Communists in 1917å and were subsequently murdered.

However, efforts to link Duterte collapsed when the witness testified that the NBI failed to validate the plot against Duterte.

Lotoc also testified that he first heard about the “Romanov” from Duterte’s younger brother, Mayor Sebastian Duterte, who warned that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may suffer the same fate as the Romanov if he does not reform.

Duterte’s warning was made during a political rally in January 2024 in Davao City.

The senator-judges from the majority and minority sides tried to help the prosecution and the defense panels to fortify their positions.

Senator Vicente Sotto III reminded the prosecution and defense panels that the impeachment court is not hearing the crime of grave threat but an administrative case against the vice president.

Lotoc did not change his testimony that Duterte issued a threat, hired an assassin, and that other circumstances leading to the vice president’s threats were not significant.

He also said the typographical errors on the NBI documents, which were pointed out by the defense panel, have little effect on the NBI’s case against the vice president.

“It did not alter the threats made by the vice president,” he said. “She committed a crime”.

In May, the House of Representatives impeached, for the second time, the vice president, sending her to the Senate for trial.

Duterte was the third official trial in the Senate. Former President Joseph Estrada was the first, but his trial was cut short by a popular revolt in 2001.

The late Chief Justice Renato Corona was convicted in an impeachment court and was removed. Duterte is the third official to face trial.

Lotoc said the crime committed by the vice president was serious and absolute because she is the beneficiary if the president is killed.

“The admission against interest is a serious crime,” he said, adding that if the authorities did not address the threats against the president, it could lead to anarchy and chaos.

Lawyer Lorna Kapunan, on behalf of the prosecution panel, said they will not call Duterte’s chief of staff and a House of Representatives security officer to the witness stand.