According to a report by RH Milky Rigonan, House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon said the prosecution team was still reviewing the matter, following an earlier manifestation by lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro that Trillanes would no longer be presented as a witness.
Ridon said there appeared to be some confusion within the prosecution panel regarding Trillanes’ status as a witness.
The prosecution had previously included Trillanes in its witness lineup for Article II of the impeachment case, which involves allegations of unexplained wealth and false statements in Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
Ridon said he was surprised when Luistro announced during Thursday’s proceedings that Trillanes was no longer part of the prosecution’s witness presentation.
Several members of the House prosecution team also indicated that Trillanes had not been completely removed from consideration as a witness under Article II.
The issue is expected to be clarified by the prosecution panel when the impeachment trial resumes.
Luistro earlier told the impeachment court that the prosecution had “finally decided” not to present Trillanes and apologized for the belated final position on the matter.
Trillanes had been expected to testify on financial records relevant to the prosecution’s allegations involving Duterte’s wealth. The prosecution had previously said his testimony could be presented alongside financial records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and other government agencies.
