DAY 3: Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Today is day 3 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The Senate impeachment trial court is expected to hear the defense's cross-examination of a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) witness as proceedings continue on Article 4 of the impeachment complaint against Duterte.
4:57 p.m. - The Senate impeachment trial court is adjourned and will resume on Monday, July 13.
4:55 p.m. - Rep. Lorenz Defensor, a House prosecutor, says they will present Lotoc on Monday, Atty. Zuleika Lopez on Tuesday, and Capt. Belinda Bello on Wednesday. Bello is an official of the House of Representatives.
4:51 p.m. - Ligutan says they will present their next witness, NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, on Monday, July 13.
4:43 p.m. - Atty. Mark Vinluan, counsel for the respondent, is recognized.
4:42 p.m. - Witness NBI senior agent John Mark Calilung has left the Senate premises. He was the prosecution's first witness for the fourth article of impeachment (grave threats) against Vice President Sara Duterte.
4:32 p.m. - Ligutan says the prosecution has decided not to conduct a redirect examination of Calilung.
4:21 p.m. - Calilung says they also tried to investigate the threats against Duterte, which was included in their letter to her. He adds they invited Duterte to the NBI office.
4:12 p.m. - Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo asks Calilung if the NBI has the power to investigate a particular threat against the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House, and Chief Justice even if there is no request from them. Calilung answers in the affirmative, says they file a case if there is enough evidence.
4:07 p.m. - Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian points out that Maxcor Inter-Ventures looks like a supplier of equipment. Calilung explains that the training he received through Maxcor is included in the procurement of digital forensic tools.
3:59 p.m. - Senator-judge and presiding officer Francis Escudero reminds senator-judges to be cautious in making either parties make conclusion of law and fact, instead of presenting evidence.
3:57 p.m. - Hontiveros asks the counsel for the respondent if it is their position that alleged grave threats are acceptable if there is a legitimate reason. Narvasa says that is not the point.
3:55 p.m. - Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros asks Narvasa for the relevance of showing Lopez' video.
Hontiveros: Sinasabi po ba ng depensa na yung mga alleged threats or alleged incitements ni VP Duterte ay prompted nung detention ni Lopez?
Narvasa: Yes, your honor. There was a systematic oppression made by the House of Representatives dating back from their, even before their mini trial, your honor, the committee headed by Representative Joel Chua investigating the Vice President and her people.
3:50 p.m. - Senator-judge Francis Pangilinan asks about the educational background and training of Calilung after the defense cross-examined him on his digital technology and cybersecurity competency.
3:49 p.m. - Ligutan says they will present a witness who will testify on the alleged hitman mentioned in Duterte's November 23, 2024 video.
3:45 p.m. - Calilung confirms to Senator-judge Bam Aquino that there were two affidavits of investigation - one in January 2025 and another in February 2025. The January affidavit was returned to the NBI for seven reasons including the absence of an affidavit of the person who recorded the November 23, 2024 video.
3:40 p.m. - Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo asks how Calilung was able to determine that the November 23. 2024 press conference was not AI-generated. Calilung says he has enough experience to determine this, and that an AI-generated video only lasts for a few seconds, not hours.
3:37 p.m. - Narvasa: No further questions. Ligutan says he will do recross-examination.
3:36 p.m. - Counsel for the respondent is checking if Calilung's transcript of the November 23, 2024 press briefing is faithful to what was said.
3:20 p.m. - Former Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff Usec. Zuleika Lopez is seen and heard in the video saying she was going to be transferred to the Women's Correctional. Lopez questioned the transfer and insisted she was not a criminal. She also said her life was being threatened.
3:16 p.m. - The counsel for the respondents plays parts of the November 23, 2024 online press briefing of the Vice President, not the entire 2 hours and 26 minutes.
3:13 p.m. - Calilung says they conducted a motu proprio investigation or on their own initiative.
3:07 p.m. - Calilung says they complied with the requirements of the Department of Justice (DOJ), which was why they were able to secure a second certification that said their documents are enough for preliminary investigation.
3:04 p.m. - Calilung says their revised affidavit of investigation did not attach the affidavits of the offended parties -President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. He also says he does not have personal knowledge if the three filed any criminal complaints.
Narvasa: Did you really investigate this case?
3 p.m. - Calilung confirms the affidavits of the two journalists are not attached. He says what he executed was an affidavit attesting to the minutes of their interview.
2:58 p.m. - Narvasa points out that there is allegedly no affidavits from journalists in the NBI's revised affidavit of investigation dated February 10, 2025.
2:51 p.m. - The counsel for the respondent is now asking Calilung about certain affidavits of investigation.
2:25 p.m. - Defense questions Calilung about his digital forensics background, which he trained for two weeks under MaxCor Inter-Ventures Co. Defense presents MaxCor's corporate documents and website. Prosecution questions defense's basis for presenting such.
2:25 p.m. - Counsel for the respondent Atty. Carlo Joaquin Narvasa shows documents to Calilung about Maxcor Inter-ventures Co. The said company, according to Calilung, is a forensic software provider which handled his training.
Articles of Partnership of Maxcor Inter-ventures, Co. Photo courtesy: Senate
2:23 p.m. - Escudero overrules objection by prosecution to defense constraining witness from answering yes or no.
2:14 p.m. - The defense begins its cross-examination of NBI senior agent John Mark Calilung.
2:14 p.m. - Senator-judge Pia Cayetano confirms that she has agreed to withdraw her motion to strike out of the record Ligutan's statement yesterday, which allegedly seemed be a closing statement already. The counsels for the respondent will be given the same time later to say their piece.
2:14 p.m. - Escudero says court warns the defense and prosecution to avoid perorations during the impeachment trial of the vice president.
This after Senator-judge Pia Cayetano on Day 2 called out Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros' question to the prosecution about the fourth article of impeachment (grave threats), to which the prosecution's answer was deemed by Cayetano a "closing speech."
Hontiveros said on Tuesday, July 7, that she never intended to force a closing statement from the prosecution.
2:09 p.m. - Minority leader and Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano asks his colleagues to refrain from asking questions that can prejudice the whole trial.
2:05 p.m. - Atty. Amado Ligutan, counsel for the prosecutors, is recognized.
2:03 p.m. - 20 senator-judges are present. Chair declares a quorum.
2:01 p.m. - Senator-judge Pia Cayetano leads the court in prayer.
2 p.m. - Senator-judges enter the session hall for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte's Impeachment Trial (Day 2)