Makabayan solon Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co chided Vice President Sara Duterte's defense lawyers for utilizing what she described as an underhanded "3D strategy".

The House prosecution team had just finished presenting its evidence under article IV, which covered the grave threats and inciting to sedition allegations against the impeachment trial respondent, Duterte.

“So ito yung na-identify na nating 3D na strategy nila: drama, derail and delay,” Co said.

(So this is what we've identified as their 3D strategy: drama, derail and delay.)

According to the youth solon, the defense panel had been given several opportunities by the Senate impeachment court to present an explanation contradicting the prosecution’s evidence and witness testimonies.

The prosecution panel spokesperson said it failed to do so each time.

“Ito po kasi 'yung strategy ng defense at this point. Naka ilang opportunity na para ibigay yung counter-narrative ni VP Sara, mukhang wala,” Co, also a lawyer, said.

(This is the defense’s strategy at this point. There have been several opportunities to present Vice President Sara’s counter-narrative, but it seems there is none.)

Serving as the prosecution’s witnesses were National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officials led by its director, Melvin Matibag. They authenticated Vice President Duterte's Nov. 23, 2024 death threat video against President Marcos and spoke about its implications.

Co said the defense ended up wasting the Senate impeachment court's precious time by going in circles" with their questioning.

“And nangyayari yung kung paulit ulit 'yung 'pag raise ng objections kahit walang basis o kaya naman paulit ulit 'yung tanong, paikot-ikot na kahit asked and answered na,” Co explained.

(And what happens is the repeated raising of objections without basis, or the repeated questioning that goes in circles even if it has already been asked and answered.)

The defense focused extensively on dates, documentary entries, and the handling of records used by NBI witnesses during the investigation.

She emphasized that Duterte’s appearance in the videos and the words attributed to her were not categorically denied during the prosecution’s presentation.

“Simple lang kasi naman 'yun eh, nandyan 'yung video na sabi n'yo nga po, walang denial of its existence, walang denial of the words use,” Co noted.

(It’s simple, the video is there, and as you said, there is no denial of its existence, no denial of the words used.)

The defense may present its explanation of the videos when the Senate impeachment court proceeds with their own evidence on article IV.

“At best may explanation ng context pero kung i-appreciate din natin, hindi po sufficient 'yung context para sabihin, okay sabihin 'yung mga bantang ginawa,” Co added.

(At best there is an explanation of context, but if we appreciate it, the context is not sufficient to justify the threats that were made.)

Duterte was quoted as saying during her virtual press conference on Nov. 23, 2024: “[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.