MANILA, Philippines — A court sheriff punched four times by Vice President Sara Duterte during a 2011 demolition in Davao City has been listed as a witness in her impeachment trial by the House prosecution team.
A copy of the prosecution’s pretrial brief shared with reporters on Thursday showed 10 witnesses lined up to support the accusation that Duterte made grave threats against the president, including Abe Andres, the sheriff assaulted by then-mayor Duterte while enforcing a demolition order to clear shanties at a contested property in Barangay Soliman in Davao City’s Agdao district.
Andres, who took four blows to his face and back, was taken to the hospital after the incident.
The sheriff’s inclusion as a witness was meant to prove that Duterte “has the tendency to inflict violence,” according to the 57-page brief, which also listed several law enforcement agents and reporters who covered her expletive-laden online briefing in November 2024 that prosecutors cited to bolster their claims that she plotted to have President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., the first lady and a former House speaker killed.
Duterte, 48, faces several allegations fueling the impeachment drive against her, including claims that she sought to have the president and his family assassinated and incited sedition against the government.
House prosecutors plan to begin presenting their case with that claim, in a move aimed at conveying the gravity of alleged misconduct tied to Duterte’s threat remarks.
Her trial, set to begin on July 6, will take place as she plans to mount a presidential run in 2028.
News accounts of the incident more than a decade ago said Duterte had asked the court to delay the demolition of houses of more than 210 families in the contested parcel of land, and became incensed with the sheriff after disregarding her plea and proceeded with the order.
Andres, who was later assigned to the Supreme Court, will likely serve as a character witness to testify to Duterte’s penchant for violence, said lawyer Ephraim Cortez, president of the National Union of People’s Lawyers.
“They are trying to prove prior conduct,” he told the Inquirer. “The obvious purpose is to prove the VP’s propensity for violence.”
He said that admitting evidence of past conduct is “strictly regulated,” and likely inadmissible in court unless presented for the purpose of proving a person’s “general character.”
“Sheriff Abe will be used as a witness to prove that the VP’s threat to assassinate BBM, the First Lady, and the former House Speaker was not empty, and that, based on her past conduct, she can carry out the threat,” Cortez said.
“This kind of behavior affects her fitness to serve as vice president.”
The vice president has adopted a brash and defiant political style like the strongman bravado of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in The Hague facing a crimes against humanity case at the International Criminal Court.
Besides Andres, the prosecution panel named the following witnesses to support the charge:
- House Legislative Security Bureau Executive Director Belinda Bello
- NBI agent Jeremy Lotoc
- NBI agent John Mark Calilung
- NBI Director Melvin Matibag
- Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office representative
- Reuters reporter Mikhail Flores
- Former Rappler reporter Bonz Magsambol
Reserve witnesses include:
- Family member of a victim of threats
- Psychiatrist
Scions of prominent political families, Marcos and Duterte ran on a joint ticket in 2022 that propelled them to landslide victories.
Their fragile alliance soon frayed over policy differences, leading to a breakup that has deepened political divisions in an already polarized nation. /das/gsg
