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Members of the House prosecution team have insisted on the need to summon a psychiatrist to the witness stand during Vice President Sara Duterte’s upcoming Senate impeachment trial.

Prosecution panel spokesperson Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong and lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr. confirmed in a virtual press conference Friday, June 26 that a psychiatrist was included among the reserved witnesses for the side of the prosecution. (Video courtesy of House of Representatives via Ellson Quismorio | MB)

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2026/06/26/prosecution-team-justifies-listing-of-psychiatrist-as-witness-in-vp-sara-impeachment-trial


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Transcript
00:00Regarding, sir, doon sa may isa sa mga reserve witnesses ng Article 4, upon checking here, kasama po ay isang
00:07psychiatrist.
00:08Does it mean, sir, isa po sa tinitingnan natin, ang gulo, kaya po nasabi ni Vice President Sara Duterte na
00:16ipapapatay po niya ang first couple and even the former House Speaker,
00:21is because merong mental challenge or issue about the mental state of the Vice President?
00:29Again, as I mentioned a while ago when this same question was asked, we cannot yet go into details about
00:37the exact testimonies that our witnesses will give.
00:43But what I can say is that this witness will be relevant in establishing the charges, particularly here, the charge
00:53concerning grave threats.
00:54So it could show, it could establish a lot of things.
00:57Among other things will be the seriousness of the threats, the fact that when it was made, it was not
01:04made in jest.
01:06That you could see from the words used, the actuation and everything and what was done during and after or
01:14even before or consistent to the position that the threat was seriously made.
01:23And there was very intention to produce that intended effect, which is to threaten the recipients of these statements.
01:34Just to add to that explanation, the psychology psychiatrist would be objective in trying to respond to the question of
01:46either the defense and the prosecution.
01:48We can establish an expert analysis as to the seriousness, to establish, the seriousness.
01:58Nobody can actually be able to prove, to establish seriousness of these threats other than, I guess, someone who has
02:10the expertise to objectively assess the utterances.
02:17Kung ibang malalagay dyan, alam natin baka maging partisan.
02:22Ito ang magiging possible na kanyang magiging testimony ay doon lang sa sinasabi ni Attorney Jay na serious ba itong
02:33allegation na ito?
02:34I mean, itong utterances na ito.
02:35So it's an expert view on an assessment on whether these threats are made within seriousness, with seriousness.
02:46So I think the expert analysis, someone who is objective and non-partisan, is the right witness to establish to
02:58the court that,
02:59yes, indeed, these allegations and these threats are made with seriousness.
03:06Kung habol ko na rin, if ever I'm just curious, sabihin ng psychiatrist na merong mental issue or mental challenge
03:16itong si PP Sara.
03:17Ano po ang possible na mangyari doon sa ming resulta ng impeachment?
03:23I'll take this one, Jeyno.
03:24I'll take this one.
03:25First, we don't preempt again.
03:28We will not predict what would be the exchanges, the questions of the House Prosecution Panel,
03:39and also the cross-examination of the defense in the event that the psychiatrist will be presented before the court.
03:49So again, let's go back to the explanation of Attorney Jay Tolosa,
03:55that part of the presentation of the House Prosecution Team, as far as the threat is concerned,
04:01is to establish the seriousness.
04:04Kasi the defense is saying that this is a, kumbaga, parang, hindi naman ito talagang threat, eh.
04:13Yung iba, sabi nila, it's a figures of speech.
04:17Narinig natin yan sa kanila as their form of defense.
04:20Ang iba naman, sabi nila, eh, hindi naman talaga ito threat kasi conditional threat, eh.
04:25So, ibig sabihin, the defense is saying that these are made probably in jest or because of yung spur of
04:33the moment, etc.
04:34So, the only way for the public to know that these threats are made in seriousness, with clarity and with
04:43seriousness,
04:44is for an expert to observe and assess the utterances of threats against the President, the First Lady, and the
04:55former Speaker.
04:56Yun lang po, that's the only purpose for the defense to include, for the prosecution panel,
05:02to include an expert on the subject matter when it comes to the seriousness of the threats made by the
05:10Vice President
05:10against three highest, you know, three personalities.
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