MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte’s chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, has been formally summoned by the Senate impeachment court to testify in connection with the ongoing impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.
Lopez received a subpoena ad testificandum requiring her presence before the court on July 13 and 14 at 2 p.m., following a request from the House prosecution panel.
The subpoena seeks her testimony concerning the alleged assassination threat involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, an issue that has become one of the central matters in the impeachment trial.
“You are hereby commanded to appear on July 13 and 14, 2026, at 2 p.m., before the Senate Impeachment Court… to testify your knowledge in the case pending before the Court,” the document stated.
Reginald Tongol, spokesperson for the Senate impeachment court, said the subpoena was successfully served and received by the Office of the Vice President at 1:10 p.m. Thursday.
The upcoming testimony relates to an online press conference held in November 2024, during which Vice President Duterte spoke about the alleged assassination plot. Lopez also claimed during that briefing that her life had been threatened while she was under House detention.
Lopez had earlier been cited in contempt by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability over allegations of improper interference during hearings connected to the impeachment inquiry.
The Senate impeachment court is expected to hear additional witnesses as the proceedings move forward.
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