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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider VP Duterte's close aide Zuleika Lopez sought as witness by prosecution

VP Duterte's close aide Zuleika Lopez sought as witness by prosecution

Published Jul 7, 2026 02:29 pm

At A Glance

  • The House prosecution panel requests a subpoena for Vice President Sara Duterte's chief-of-staff, Zuleika Lopez, to testify on July 13–15.
  • Lopez's testimony is sought to prove Article IV allegations of death threats against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
  • Prosecutors expect Lopez to provide firsthand information from within the OVP to corroborate evidence that the statements were serious threats.
Zuleika Lopez (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)
Zuleika Lopez (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)


In a move that is expected to be unpopular with the respondent, the House prosecution panel has asked the Senate impeachment court to issue a subpoena compelling Vice President Sara Duterte’s chief-of-staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez, to appear as a witness in the impeachment trial next week.
In a request for the issuance of a subpoena ad testificandum filed Tuesday, July 7, prosecutors said Lopez’s testimony was necessary not only to establish the allegations under Article IV of fhe articles of impeachment but also to identify and authenticate documentary and other evidence that will be presented before the impeachment court.
Prosecutors are seeking Lopez's appearance during the hearings scheduled on July 13, 14, and 15.
Article IV covers Vice President Duterte's alleged death threats to President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez.
According to prosecution panel, Lopez's testimony is “material, relevant and necessary” to proving the particular allegation.
Lopez is one of the Vice President’s closest aides, if not the closest. The two apparently go way back: Lopez was the city hall administrator when Duterte was the mayor of Davao City from 2010 to 2013.
Lopez found herself back at the city hall in 2016, when Duterte was again elected as mayor.
In late November 2024, Duterte even slept over at the House of Representatives in Batasan, Quezon City while Lopez was being detained there. It was around this time that the Vice President, while in a virtual press conference, aired her death threats against the members of the First Family.
Lopez's testimony is expected to provide the court with firsthand information from within the Office of the Vice President (OVP) regarding the events surrounding Duterte’s public statements, which have been replayed countless times on social media.
Prosecutors are expected to use her testimony to establish context and corroborate other evidence supporting their claim that the statements constituted serious threats rather than mere political rhetoric.
The subpoena request also signals that the prosecution intends to build its case through witnesses with direct knowledge of events inside the OVP, alongside documentary, digital and testimonial evidence, instead of relying solely on publicly available recordings of the Vice President’s statements.
If the impeachment court grants the request, Lopez will become one of the prosecution’s key witnesses when hearings on Article IV begin next week.

Related Tags

IMPEACHMENT Sara Duterte death threats impeachment trial Zuleika Lopez
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