Placing Vice President Sara Duterte on the witness stand in her own Senate impeachment trial could become detrimental to her case.

House prosecution panel member Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua floated this notion over the weekend amid anticipation on whether or not the respondent, Duterte would be tapped by her defense team as witness.

"At the end of the day, diskarte po ng defense ‘yan. Baka mamaya pagka isinalang po nila, baka mas mapasama (At the end of the day, that's the defense' call. There's possibility that it could worsen their case if they let her speak),” Chua said.

Chua says there's one particular article of impeachment wherein the best person to seek details from is none other than Vice President: her alleged threats against President Marcos and other top officials during her "meltdown" virtual press conference last Nov. 23, 2024.

"Nakikita ko lang na mahalaga ‘yung salaysay ng ating pangalawang Pangulo, pinakamahalaga po pagdating po sa threats. So, siguro mas maganda kung may paliwanag rin niya,” said the lawyer-legislator from Manila.

(I only see that the statement of our Vice President is important, most especially regarding the threats. So perhaps it would be better if she also provides an explanation.)

Duterte was quoted as saying during the press conference: “[M]ay kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM (Bongbong Marcos) si Liza Araneta at si Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke. Nag-bilin na ako ma’am. Pag mamatay ako, sabi ko, huwag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapatay sila and then he said yes".

(I already spoke to someone. I told him that if I am killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke. I already gave instructions, ma’am. If I die, I said, do not stop until you kill them, and then he said yes.)

Araneta-Marcos is the First Lady; while Romualdez, the President's cousin, is a former House Speaker.

It may be known during the pre-trial conference on June 18 whether or not the defense plans to make Duterte a witness.

The catch with making the Vice President a witness is that the prosecution would be given the chance to cross-examine her. And therein lie the potential fireworks in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial.

“So pagkainupo siya, magsasalita po siya, ‘yun po ‘yung kanyang mga direct examination. Tapos kami naman po i-co-cross namin po siya,” Chua added.

(So when they place her on the witness stand, she will talk and that will become her direct examination. Then we will cross-examine her.)

Chua acknowledged that prosecutors cannot dictate the defense’s legal strategy, but he made clear that any decision to present Duterte before the impeachment court would carry consequences once she gives testimony.

“Hindi ko po pwedeng pangunahan sila kung ano po ‘yung kanilang gagawin (I cannot preempt what they will do)," he said.