The prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial decides not to present former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV as a witness, according to lead public prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro. Luistro tells the Senate impeachment court during the trial that the prosecution has made a final decision to withdraw Trillanes from the list of prospective witnesses.
GMA News reports that prosecution panel member Bukidnon Rep. Keith Flores says he was surprised by Luistro’s announcement. Inquirer.net also reports Luistro’s decision, and later coverage in its trial highlights notes that Trillanes confirms the step on social media, saying he personally asked Luistro to withdraw his name and that he plans to hold a press conference to discuss what his testimony would have been.
Across the outlets, the agreed core point is that Trillanes is no longer expected to testify, with differences mainly in the reactions inside the prosecution panel and Trillanes’ accompanying statements about the move.
