Antonio Trillanes Withdraws as Witness in Sara Duterte Trial
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV withdrew as a prosecution witness in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial but later held a press conference to air his allegations.
The House prosecution withdrew its bid to present former senator Antonio Trillanes IV as a witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on October 1, 2026. Lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro informed the impeachment court that dropping Trillanes was the prosecution's prerogative. Trillanes stated he requested his removal to relieve the prosecution panel from pressure, though he had intended to testify on Article II regarding unexplained wealth and undeclared assets.
During the proceedings, senator-judge Raffy Tulfo criticized the prosecution's witness selection, suggesting that Trillanes should have testified before officials from the Anti-Money Laundering Council if he had remained.
On October 2, Trillanes held a press conference to disclose the testimony he would have provided. He alleged that Duterte has links to China, used a fictitious name in one of her companies, and maintained undeclared time deposits. Trillanes also criticized Presiding Officer Francis Escudero, claiming a lack of objectivity and poor handling of records caused unnecessary delays in the trial.
