The House prosecution panel said it will present a former court sheriff as a witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to help establish what it described as her alleged pattern of violent behavior.
House prosecution panel legal spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa said Friday that the rules on evidence allow the presentation of testimony to establish a person’s behavioral pattern or propensity to resort to violence.
“Under the rules, it is allowed to present evidence to establish a behavioral pattern, to establish the propensity of a person to resort to violence, for example,” Tolosa said during an online press conference.
Tolosa declined to disclose the prosecution’s specific strategy for presenting the witness.
“I’m sure you would understand why, at this point, we can’t disclose the particular reasons why we will be presenting this witness,” he said.
The witness is former court sheriff Abe Andres, who was allegedly punched by Duterte during the demolition of informal settler homes in Davao City in 2011, when she was serving as city mayor.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the prosecution intends to present both Duterte’s actions and public statements in assessing her conduct.
“Actions and words are very apparent so far as the Vice President is concerned,” Adiong said.
He added that the alleged assault on the former sheriff reflects what the prosecution views as a pattern of behavior.
“It also speaks about the attitude… the culture of impunity that we would try to address,” Adiong said.
Andres is also listed as a witness regarding Duterte’s alleged threat in November 2024 involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
The prosecution’s pretrial brief also cites Duterte’s October 2024 statement in which she said she imagined the President being beheaded.
“When she’s angry, she gets too volatile,” Adiong said.
He added that public office does not place anyone above the law.
“No one should be above the law. No one should have the right to take justice into their own hands. That’s already a betrayal of public trust,” Adiong said.
The impeachment trial is scheduled to begin on July 6.
