The House prosecution panel on Wednesday expressed 'high confidence' that its first two witnesses had sufficiently established the alleged threats made by Vice President Sara Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

During an interview on DZRH's Dos Por Dos, House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Senior Agent Victor Calilung and NBI Bangsamoro Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, a former chief of the agency’s Cybercrime Division, were able to support the allegations cited in Article IV of the impeachment complaints.

“We have high confidence on the two early witnesses na talagang pasok na pasok ‘yung pagpapatunay ng pagbabanta ng Pangalawang Pangulo laban sa Pangulo at kanyang pamilya,” House prosecutor Leandro Ridon said.

This came after the panel decided to withdraw two of its previously listed witnesses — Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez and House of Representatives Legislative Security Bureau Executive Director Belinda Bello — from the proceedings involving Article IV.

House prosecutor Joel Chua explained that the testimonies of Lopez and Bello were no longer necessary after the prosecution presented the first two witnesses and after considering admissions from the defense and evidence already submitted before the Senate impeachment court.

“After presenting ‘yung dalawang testigo, na-achieve na namin ‘yung purpose,” Chua said.

Chua added that the decision was also made in response to concerns raised by senators that only two witnesses had been presented despite the impeachment trial already reaching its fifth day.

Article IV of the impeachment complaint centers on the alleged “kill plot” that Duterte herself disclosed during an online press conference, where she said she had instructed someone to act against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and Romualdez should she be killed.