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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senate Impeachment Court gears up for cross-exam of NBI agent Calilung today

Senate Impeachment Court gears up for cross-exam of NBI agent Calilung today

Published Jul 8, 2026 11:20 am

At A Glance

  • If there is no cross-examination, then the prosecution will move to hear the testimony of the next witness who is another NBI agent, Impeachment Court spokesperson Atty. Regie Tongol said.

The Senate Impeachment Court is ready to hear the legal team of Vice President Sara Duterte start its cross-examination of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)  Senior Agent John Mark Calilung today, Wednesday, July 8.

This, after the House prosecution panel presented Calilung as its first witness on Tuesday, July 7 before the Impeachment Court. 

Calilung was presented before the court as the parties tackled Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.

The article involves Duterte’s alleged assassination threats against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

“(Wednesday) will be the cross-examination (of the defense panel) on Calilung, and if  the cross-examination would be short, then it’s possible that the second witness of the prosecution panel will also be presented,” said the court’s spokesperson Atty, Regie Tongol during a press briefing at the Senate on Tuesday.

“So if there is no cross-examination, then the prosecution will move to the next witness,” he said.

The next witness to be presented by the prosecution panel is NBI agent Jeremy Lontoc. 

Although the deferment of the cross-examination could extend the projected 92-day trial of the Vice President, Tongol said adjustments on the Impeachment calendar may still be possible.

“We still do not know because sometimes the court will schedule a specific 92 days, but because of exigencies or this instance, which both parties are not at fault, and it’s also not the fault of the court, but just as part of court management, the court will necessarily extend the trial dates as may be,” Tongol explained.

“So the 92 or 93 days (of trial) is not certain,” he said.

At the same time, Tongol said the impeachment court will try its best to figure out how to squeeze in the incidental oral arguments in the trial dates that has been set, for the meantime.

On day two of the trial, senator-judges mostly spent hearing the testimony of Calilung on the allegations Duterte issued grave threats against the President and members of his family.

Calilung was able to give his full testimony despite the repeated objections from Duterte’s defense team over his credentials and the documents and video evidence he was tasked to verify. 

Related Tags

Senate impeachment court Duterte impeachment case 2026
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