House prosecution team legal spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said the panel in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte may present “reserved” witnesses during the trial, citing rules that allow delayed disclosure for justified reasons.

In an interview on DZRH’s “Dos Por Dos,” Tolosa clarified that the prosecution does not intend to use “surprise witnesses,” but may designate certain individuals as “reserved” witnesses.

“We don’t want to call them surprise witness but more of ‘reserved’ witness dahil sa pinapayagan yan sa rules for justifiable reasons,” Tolosa said.

He explained that such witnesses could be presented, particularly in cases involving security risks.

“Pwedeng ipresenta ‘yan, lalo na for example merong panganib sa buhay for security reasons,” he said.

Tolosa added that the identity of a reserved witness would still be disclosed to the opposing party ahead of their testimony.

“Ang kailangan lang diyan ay three before the witness is presented in trial ay ididisclose namin ang identity niya into the other party,” he said.

He emphasized that the process does not amount to a surprise since the defense would still be informed prior to the witness taking the stand.

The impeachment proceedings against Duterte are expected to draw heightened scrutiny as both sides prepare their evidence and witness lists under Senate trial rules for the upcoming trial on July 6.