The House prosecution panel said it was not “naduwag” or “natakot” to present Office of the Vice President (OVP) Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez as a witness in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

During a press conference at the Senate after the fifth day of proceedings, prosecution counsel Atty. Lorna Kapunan explained that Lopez was removed from the witness list after the panel’s assessment showed that her testimony was no longer necessary.

Kapunan said the prosecution had already established the points it intended to prove through previous witnesses and evidence, making Lopez’s appearance “unnecessary, redundant, and surplusage.”

“And those of you who know me, and I see many familiar faces here, know that hindi ako maatras at all. In fact, I killed a mosquito with an atomic bomb. This was not necessary here,” Kapunan said.

She emphasized that the decision was based on the prosecution’s evaluation of the case and not because the panel was unwilling to face Lopez during the proceedings.

The prosecution earlier announced that Lopez and Capt. Belinda Bello would no longer be presented as witnesses in the impeachment trial.