The House prosecution panel has tapped the court sheriff involved in Vice President Sara Duterte‘s 2011 punching incident as one of its witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial.
Sheriff Abe Andres, who was enforcing a court-ordered demolition in Davao City when the confrontation occurred, is expected to testify for the prosecution as it presents evidence under one of the impeachment articles against Duterte.
The July 2011 incident drew national attention after then Davao City Mayor Duterte was caught on camera repeatedly punching Andres. The confrontation erupted after Duterte asked that the demolition be postponed for two hours to give affected residents more time to leave the area. Andres declined, saying he was implementing a court order, prompting Duterte to strike him several times.
Prosecutors are expected to use Andres’ testimony to support their claim that Duterte has demonstrated a pattern of violent behavior, an argument they say is relevant to the impeachment charge arising from her alleged threats against President Bongbong Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Aside from Andres, the prosecution has identified several other witnesses for the same impeachment article, including lawyer Belinda Bello, Jeremy Lotoc, John Mark Calilung, National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, a representative of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office, and two journalists who attended Duterte’s online press conference in November 2024.
The witness list forms part of the prosecution’s preparations for the impeachment trial, where both sides are expected to present evidence before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.
