By The X-Files Reportorial Team
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte reached its third day on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, focusing heavily on the technical and circumstantial validity of the “grave threats” allegations leveled against her under Article 4 of the impeachment complaint.
The Focus on Digital Forensics
The session centered on the defense’s intense cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness for this article, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Senior Agent John Mark Calilung.
Defense counsel Atty. Carlo Joaquin Narvasa aggressively questioned Calilung’s cybersecurity credentials and forensic background, noting that his digital forensics training lasted only two weeks under a private vendor, Maxcor Inter-Ventures Co. The prosecution vigorously questioned the relevance of probing the software provider’s corporate background, but Presiding Officer and Senate President Francis Escudero permitted the line of questioning.
Contextualizing the Video
A major point of contention arose when the defense played clips from the Vice President’s infamous November 23, 2024 online press briefing—the core material behind the grave threats charge.
The defense argued that the intense statements made by Duterte during that briefing were a direct reaction to what they termed “systematic oppression” by the House of Representatives, specifically highlighting the emotional distress surrounding the detention and attempted transfer of her former Chief of Staff, Usec. Zuleika Lopez, to a correctional facility.
When pressed by Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros on whether the defense was implying that alleged threats or incitements are acceptable given a provocative context, Narvasa clarified that their goal was to demonstrate the situational backdrop of the statements rather than justify unlawful behavior.
Verifying the Footage
The court also tackled the authenticity of the broadcast. Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo questioned how the NBI determined the viral press conference video wasn’t an AI-generated deepfake. Agent Calilung testified that, based on his experience, AI-generated videos typically only last for a few seconds or minutes rather than the hours-long runtime of the briefing in question.
Calilung also confirmed that the NBI initiated its investigation *motu proprio* (on its own initiative) and that no formal, personal affidavits had been attached from the direct subjects mentioned in the video—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
What’s Next?
The prosecution, led by Atty. Amado Ligutan, opted not to conduct a redirect examination of Calilung, allowing him to be excused from the Senate premises late Wednesday afternoon.
The House prosecution panel announced its upcoming roster of high-profile witnesses for next week, which includes:
* **Monday, July 13:** NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc
* **Tuesday, July 14:** Former OVP Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez
* **Wednesday, July 15:** House of Representatives official Capt. Belinda Bello
With the day’s testimonies wrapped up, Presiding Officer Escudero adjourned the Senate impeachment trial court. Proceedings are scheduled to resume on Monday, July 13. (30)
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