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Metro Manila, Philippines – The Impeachment Court deferred its decision to subpoena Vice President Sara Duterte’s financial records after House prosecutor Chel Diokno and defense spokesperson Michael Poa faced off in oral arguments.  After a brief caucus, Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero said the court will rule on the matter on Monday, July 20.  Diokno opened the oral arguments by defending the prosecution’s request to subpoena Duterte tax records even during her tenure as Davao City mayor and vice mayor.  He argued that these would determine if she was fit – or unfit – to serve as the country’s second-in-command.   “From 2007 to 2013, ayon sa records ng AMLC [Anti Money Laundering Council], lumampas sa ₱3 billion ang kanyang financial activity,” Diokno said, adding that the question is whether Duterte betrayed public trust and violated the Constitution by amassing unexplained wealth. [Translation: According to the records of the AMLC, her financial…

Metro Manila, Philippines – Some senator-judges said recent arrests and investigations against fellow lawmakers were attempts at distracting them from the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. “Ang mga nangyayari po sa ating hukuman sa mga oras na ito, hindi ko po alam kung ito ba ay eksakto lang na nangyayari, o ito po ba ay sinasadya?” Senator-judge Robin Padilla told the Impeachment Court on Wednesday, July 15, the sixth day of the trial.  [Translation: What’s happening in this courtroom now, I don’t know if it’s coincidence or if it is intentional.] Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta are under arrest for plunder charges. Padilla pointed out the ombudsman’s order for himself and Senator-judge Alan Cayetano to respond to the obstruction of justice complaints against them for allegedly helping Sen. Ronald dela Rosa escape from authorities over an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. He also highlighted the planned probe…

Metro Manila, Philippines – The prosecution panel has withdrawn most of its witnesses for Impeachment Article IV, centered on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged grave threats, and named three new individuals to testify for Impeachment Article I, on alleged misuse of confidential funds.  The following are no longer witnesses for Article IV: +PNP firearms and explosives office representative to testify on Duterte’s firearm ownership; +Mikhail Flores and Bonz Magsambol, members of the press present in the Nov. 23, 2024 press conference; +Sheriff Abe Andres, who Duterte punched when she was mayor in 2011; +the family member of a victim of Duterte’s alleged threats to testify on the effect of these statements; and +a psychiatrist to testify on Duterte’s state of mind This leaves National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag as the final witness for Duterte’s alleged threats. He is expected to testify on Tuesday, July 21. Meanwhile, the prosecution…

Metro Manila, Philippines – Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro secured ASEAN’s support for a planned humanitarian mission to Myanmar after leading back-to-back meetings on the political situation in the conflict-hit country in Thailand. Lazaro, who also serves as the ASEAN Chair’s special envoy on Myanmar, met with Myanmar Foreign Minister U Tin Maung Swe and later chaired an informal meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers with their Myanmar counterpart on July 12. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Lazaro and Tin Maung Swe held a candid and constructive discussion on advancing the implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and ways the regional bloc could assist Myanmar in normalizing its relations with ASEAN. During the informal meeting, the Myanmar foreign minister briefed ASEAN counterparts on developments in the country. The briefing covered the government’s implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, its 100-day Peace Plan and efforts to combat transnational crime. ASEAN foreign ministers…

Metro Manila, Philippines –  House prosecution spokesperson Lorna Kapunan denied suggestions that prosecutors backed down by removing Office of the Vice President chief of staff Zuleika Lopez from their witness list. In a briefing on Tuesday, July 14, Kapunan said the decision was based on the strength of the evidence already presented before the Senate impeachment court. “I think a case sinks or swims with the evidence. There can be over-presentation of evidence,” Kapunan said. She said the prosecution originally planned to present Lopez to prove three points. These were that Lopez was present during the November 23, 2024 press conference of Vice President Sara Duterte, that Duterte made the statements in her presence and before the media, and that the prosecution’s video evidence was authentic. Kapunan said those matters had already been established during the trial. “After more than four days of direct examination, cross-examination, and the probing and…