SENATOR-JUDGE Raffy Tulfo cautioned the House prosecution against calling witnesses whose testimonies might not be necessary to establish its impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Tulfo further raised the importance of a focused presentation of evidence, particularly as the prosecution tackles the allegations of unexplained wealth against Duterte.
In his manifestation during the resumption of the trial on October 1, 2026, Tulfo stressed that the prosecution should carefully assess the relevance of the witnesses, warning that unnecessary testimonies could consume valuable time and prolong the proceedings.
“Kasi kung minsan ‘yung prosecution pumapalpakpalpak kayo there are times na naglalagay kayo ng mga witnesses dito na hindi naman kailangan talaga nagsasayang layo ng oras,” said Tulfo.
(Because sometimes the prosecution really messes up. There are times when you present witnesses here who are not really necessary, and it just wastes a lot of time.)
“Kung kukuha kayo ng witness make sure na talaga ‘yung witness na yon ay may masasabing bagay na makakatulong sa ginagawang imbestigasyon dito sa impeachment. Meron pa nga kayong kinuha na pinagtatawanan tuloy nagpapa-cute lang habang may kinakausap na witness na pulis, kaya ingat kayo sa pagkuha ng mga witness at pagsasala ng mga abogado ninyo diyan,” he added.
(If you’re going to call a witness, make sure that witness has something to say that will help with the investigation being conducted here in the impeachment trial. You even called someone who ended up being laughed at and was just trying to be cute while a police witness was being questioned. So be careful in choosing your witnesses and in screening your lawyers there.)
House prosecutor and San Juan City Representative Ysabel Maria Zamora has been under fire following her direct examination of Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO) Records Division Chief Major Joericson Sangalang on Monday, September 28, 2026.
Zamora was criticized for the way she propounded questions, particularly how she spoke.
She earlier dismissed personal and misogynistic attacks against her.
“It’s so unfortunate that a lot of Filipinos still think that way. They still make misogynistic remarks, especially directed towards women, girls who apparently are smart and can speak well and can be a lawyer in an impeachment court,” Zamora said.
“So, maybe they can’t handle sass, they can’t handle style. And well, really, I don’t care if they bash me. I’m here to do my job… I mean, seriously, they should get a life,” she added.
The upcoming witnesses scheduled to be presented by the prosecution include AMLC Executive Director Attorney Ronel Buenaventura, followed by representatives of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and several banks such as LandBank of the Philippines, Asia United Bank, Philippine Savings Bank, Metrobank, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Philippine National Bank and Banco de Oro.
The prosecution permanently dropped former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV from its witness list.
Under Article 2 of the Articles of Impeachment, Duterte was accused of having unexplained wealth and false statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs). (TPM/SunStar Philippines)