In Vice President Sara Duterte’s Senate impeachment trial, the defense objects to how portions of an affidavit by self-confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) member Arturo Lascañas are presented as evidence. On Tuesday, the defense team challenges the marking of part of Lascañas’ affidavit as a prosecution exhibit. On Wednesday, the impeachment court denies the defense objection and allows the affidavit portion to be marked for trial use, though the court maintains that Lascañas’ affidavit contents are treated as “hearsay.”
In a related ruling, the presiding officer, Senator-judge Francis Escudero, grants the transfer of the exhibit markings for portions of the Lascañas affidavit, adjusting how the material is labeled in the proceedings while keeping the substance under the hearsay limitation. Escudero cites the Rules of Court—specifically Section 34, Rule 132—when explaining the approach taken by the court. The rulings focus on evidence handling and labeling during the ongoing impeachment trial rather than on determining the truth of the affidavit’s claims.
