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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Zuleika Lopez left hanging as House prosecution drops her as witness for now

Zuleika Lopez left hanging as House prosecution drops her as witness for now

Published Jul 14, 2026 08:10 pm

At A Glance

  • Prosecutor Lorna Kapunan announces that the House panel would no longer call OVP Chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez to testify, saying her testimony would be redundant in proving Article IV on grave threats and inciting to sedition.
  • The decision surprised observers since Lopez's appearance was highly anticipated, and the defense team had presumably prepared extensively for her direct examination.
  • Capt. Belinda Bello also gets dropped as a witness, with Kapunan noting that her testimony would only be corroborative for Article IV.
Zuleika Lopez (left), prosecutor Lorna Kapunan (House PPAB, Senate PRIB)
Zuleika Lopez (left), prosecutor Lorna Kapunan (House PPAB, Senate PRIB)


Did the House prosecution panel just pull a fast one on the camp of impeachment respondent Vice President Sara Duterte?
This, after private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan told the Senate impeachment court under presiding officer Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero at past 7 p.m. Tuesday night, July 14 that the panel would no longer call Office of the Vice President (OVP) Chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez to the witness stand.
Kapunan--an experienced litigator of almost 50 years--says placing Lopez on the stand would be redundant to the prosecution’s aim of substantiating Article IV of the articles of impeachment against Duterte.
The particular article covers allegations of grave threats and inciting to sedition stemming from Duterte’s Nov. 23, 2024 death threats to President Marcos and other members of the First Family.
The number and order of presentation of witnesses is purely the prosecution’s prerogative.
"I have learned two things in litigation. The first thing I have learned is, first learn when to present, and [when] not to present a witness. And second, learn when to stop. And I think that should be our takeaway from this manifestation," Kapunan said.
The last minute decision to drop Lopez as a hostile witness was anti-climatic, since her appearance in court was hands down the most anticipated next to Duterte herself.
The Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB) reported Lopez's arrival at the chamber at 1.58 p.m. The prosecutors earlier had the court subpoena her for the purpose of testifying.
Presumably, the Vice President’s defense team spent long hours preparing Lopez for direct examination by prosecutors. 
Lopez, 52, is the closest aid of Duterte, 48. Both are lawyers.
'Zulweka'
Kapunan also said that the prosecution would no longer present Capt. Belinda Bello of the House of Representatives’ Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) to the witness stand for Article IV.
The prosecutor said the addition of Bello's testimony would have been merely been "corroborative".
“It is the wisdom of the public prosecutors, as expressed through this representation, that we find it totally unnecessary, redundant and a surplusage to still present Atty. Zuleika Lopez and, as well, Capt. Belinda Bello,” said Kapunan, who for some reason kept pronouncing Zuleika as "Zulweka".
Amusingly, she continued to commit this mistake even after Escudero corrected him.
So far, the prosecution has presented to the court two witnesses--John Mark Calilung and Jeremy Lotoc, both of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)--for Article IV.
Theoretically, the OVP official may still be summoned to testify on the other three articles of impeachment. This was confirmed by Kapunan in a subsequent press conference after Tuesday's trial.
Referring to Bello. Kapunan said: "She would have been presented only to corroborate the fact that there was a transfer order made in the detention center and that transfer order had been the subject of the video or press conference of Nov. 23, 2024."
At that time, Lopez was being detained at the House of Representatives after being cited for contempt by the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.
This angered her closed friend Duterte, who as a result camped out at the House and conducted the online press conference where she uttered her death threats.

Related Tags

Zuleika Lopez Lorna Kapunan Impeachment Sara Duterte witness impeachment trial
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