Week two of Vice President Sara Duterte's Senate impeachment trial promises to be more emotionally-charged than the first, all because of one person.

Lawyer Zuleika Lopez, chief-of-staff of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and arguably the closest aide of the respondent, is scheduled to take the witness stand on Tuesday, July 14.

The prosecution panel had earlier asked the Senate impeachment court under presiding officer Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero to subpoena Lopez for the purpose of substanting its evidence on Article IV of the articles of impeachment against Duterte covering the allegation on grave threats and inciting to sedition.

Also slated to take the witness stand for the prosecution this week are Jeremy Lotoc of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and Capt. Belinda Bello of the House of Representatives’ Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.

They are also meant to bolster the same allegations.

Lopez's direct examination by the prosecution is expected to be an interesting one as she is expected to take up the cudgels for her longtime friend, Duterte, no matter.

She already gave a preview of her defiance last Thursday, when she dropped by the Senate and told reporters, "Prepare for Typhoon Inday".

At that time, a real-life Typhoon "Inday", had just entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). And as everyone knows, respondent Duterte's nickname is Inday.

Lopez and Duterte apparently go way back. Lopez was the city hall administrator when Duterte was the mayor of Davao City from 2010 to 2013.

To say that the Vice President is fiercely protective of Lopez is an understatement. The respondent willingly defied protocols at the House of Representatives in November 2024 just to be physically close to her aide.

At that time, Lopez was being detained by the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability--the House equivalent of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

It was during this episode that a fuming Duterte uttered in a virtual press conference her death threats against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez.

Prosecutors believe that Lopez can shed further light on the matter, particularly after the defense argued last week that Duterte only made the threats because of how the OVP official was being treated by the House.

The Senate impeachment trial will resume on Monday, July 13.

Speaking in a DZBB radio interview Sunday, July 12, solon-prosecutor San Juan City lone district Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora said the prosecution panel is prepared to present at least two witnesses in a single trial day.

She said that the panel already brought its succeeding witness to the Senate during the opening week in case the first testimony from NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung finished with enough time for another witness to take the stand.

The prosecution’s readiness addresses calls to shorten the proceedings in what Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian had earlier estimated to be a seven to eight-month long trial.

However, the prosecution cannot automatically place a second witness on the stand because the presiding officer must first permit the additional testimony after considering the available time and progress of the proceedings.

Although three witnesses have been publicly identified for the coming trial days, the prosecution continues to assess other individuals who may be needed as Article IV develops, says Zamora.

Meanwhile, prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong on Sunday said the next witness from the NBI, Lotoc, will tell the court about the agency's actual findings on the alleged death threats.

Lotoc, currently NBI regional director for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao BARMM), is scheduled to testify on Monday.

Calilung authenticated video recordings and other digital evidence related to Duterte’s Nov. 23, 2024 statement that she had contracted a hitman to kill President Marcos and other members of the First Family if she herself were killed.

“Si Mr. Calilung, siya ’yung nag-authenticate nitong video na ito. Si Atty. Lotoc, siya ang magbibigay sa atin ng resulta kung anuman po ’yung naging imbestigasyon nila,” Adiong said.

(Mr. Calilung is the one who authenticated this video. Atty. Lotoc will provide us with the results of whatever their investigation was.)

Understandably, he declined to elaborate on the NBI’s findings at this point.

“Ang masasabi ko lang po, ipagpaumanhin n’yo po kasi isa po ’yan sa mga pag-uusapan. So meron po tayong sub judice rule. ‘Pag hindi po napag-usapan ito sa korte o hindi pa nalalatag sa korte, hindi po natin mapag-uusapan ang merits ng magiging testimonya ni Atty. Lotoc,” he said.

(What I can only say is please understand, because that is one of the matters to be discussed. So we have the sub judice rule. If this has not yet been discussed in court or laid down in court, we cannot talk about the merits of Atty. Lotoc’s testimony.)

Adiong said the prosecution would leave it to the Senate impeachment court to hear Lotoc’s testimony first.