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Ahead of her impeachment trial on Monday, July 6, Vice President Sara Duterte said she included in her prayers the return of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the Philippines during a recent visit to a church in Bogo City, Cebu last week.
In a social media post on Sunday, Duterte said she also prayed for peace in the country, the safety of Filipinos—including those living and working abroad—and the continued recovery of Bogo City from the powerful earthquake that struck the area last year.
“Kasabay ng ating pagbisita sa Cebu Province noong mga nakaraang linggo, tinungo natin ang Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer sa Bogo City upang magsindi ng kandila at ipanalangin ang kapayapaan ng ating bansa at ang kaligtasan ng mga Pilipino, kabilang na ang mga nagtatrabaho at naninirahan sa ibang bansa,” her post read.
(During our visit to Cebu Province in recent weeks, we went to the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer in Bogo City to light a candle and pray for our country’s peace and the safety of Filipinos, including those working and living abroad.)
“Kasama rin sa ating mga dasal ang pag-uwi ni Dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa ating bayan, maging ang tuloy-tuloy na pagbangon ng Bogo City mula sa iniwang pinsala ng malakas na lindol sa lugar noong nakaraang taon,” she added.
(Included in our prayers is the return of former President Rodrigo Duterte to our town, as well as the continued recovery of Bogo City from the damage caused by the strong earthquake that struck the area last year.)
In May, Duterte’s defense spokesperson, lawyer Michael Poa, told Bilyonaryo News Channel that a key part of their defense is making their arguments clear and understandable to the public, highlighting the importance of public comprehension alongside legal proceedings.
He stressed that a large part of their strategy is presenting arguments in a way that the public can easily understand.
Poa emphasized the need to shape public perception of the vice president, noting that beyond the legal issues, she also needs to win in the “court of public opinion.”
Earlier this month, Duterte’s defense team disclosed that it has withheld some of its 90 witnesses’ identities due to security reasons, and may present them as “surprise witnesses” during the trial if needed.
On June 15, Duterte’s camp filed the respondent’s pre-trial brief with the Senate impeachment court, listing former senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Ramil Madriaga as witnesses.
The brief states their intent to use these witnesses to “disprove the Articles of Impeachment, show that the allegations are legal conclusions, identify relevant documents, and clarify related issues.”
Meanwhile, House Justice Committee chair Rep. Gerville Luistro confirmed the witness list has grown from 25 to 57 to cover all relevant evidence.
The witness “Mary Grace Piattos,” linked to investigations into alleged misuse of confidential funds, is also on the list for the trial.
Other individuals listed include Xiaomi Ocho, Kokoy Villamin, and Milky Secuya.
However, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported they have no records for a person named “Mary Grace Piattos.”
The charges against the vice president include betrayal of public trust, graft, corruption, constitutional violations, and other serious crimes.
The five-day pre-trial session on June 18 and June 22-25 ended with the completion of evidence marking and submission of stipulations and motions, ahead of the trial starting on July 6.
In 2025, Duterte had threatened a ‘bloodbath’ during the impeachment to ensure all evidence was revealed. — Katrina Manubay
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Credit belongs to: www.manilastandard.net
