THE House prosecution in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte has formally dropped former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV from its list of witnesses.
In a manifestation on Thursday, October 1, 2026, lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro informed the impeachment court that the prosecution would no longer present Trillanes as a witness.
“We decided not to present former senator Sonny Trillanes. We seek the kind indulgence of the Honorable Impeachment Court for the belated final position on this particular concern,” Luistro said.
In a brief statement to the media, Luistro said withdrawing Trillanes from the witness list was the “prosecution’s prerogative.”
The prosecution had earlier sought to present Trillanes in connection with allegations of Vice President Duterte’s unexplained wealth and alleged receipt or acquisition of funds from persons or sources identified in evidence presented to the impeachment court.
During a House Committee on Justice hearing on April 22, 2026, Trillanes presented his sworn statement and documents alleging that billions of pesos had flowed through bank accounts associated with members of the Duterte family including
former President Rodrigo Duterte (FPRRD), the Vice President and her husband lawyer Manases Carpio, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, FPRRD’s common law wife Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña and their daughter Veronica “Kitty” Duterte.
Trillanes said his research showed that a total of P2,407,272,103.75 flowed through several bank accounts associated with the Dutertes from 2003 to 2016.
He also alleged that members of the Duterte family received about P181,653,487.36 from businessman Samuel “Sammy” Uy, whom he described as a drug lord.
During the same hearing, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) confirmed that 18 randomly selected transactions cited in Trillanes’ documents involving accounts linked to the Vice President and her husband had corresponding or similar entries in AMLC records.
Trillanes also alleged that Sara Duterte had engaged in corruption, possessed ill-gotten wealth and failed to truthfully declare her assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
Trillanes was also among the complainants in the International Criminal Court case involving former President Rodrigo Duterte over his administration’s drug war. / TPM