Sheriff Punched by Sara Duterte to Testify Before the Senate Impeachment Court
ABE ANDRES – The former Davao City sheriff has been included as one of the House prosecution’s witnesses in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Andres became known in 2011 after he was punched by then-Davao City Mayor Duterte during a court-ordered demolition involving informal settlers. The incident was caught on camera after Andres refused Duterte’s request to delay the demolition for two hours.
According to the prosecution’s pre-trial brief, Andres will testify under Article 4 of the impeachment complaint. Prosecutors plan to use his testimony to support their claim that the Vice President has a history of using violence. Article 4 accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, high crimes, and betrayal of public trust. It also includes allegations that she contracted someone to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez, made serious threats, and encouraged actions that could incite unrest against the government.
The prosecution has also listed several other witnesses, including officials from the House Legislative Security Bureau, agents and officials of the National Bureau of Investigation, a representative from the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office, and two journalists who attended Duterte’s online press briefing on November 23, 2024. During that briefing, she stated that someone would kill President Marcos if she herself were killed.
In addition, two reserve witnesses have been identified: a family member of an alleged threat victim, who is expected to testify about the impact and seriousness of the threats, and a psychiatrist, who may testify about Duterte’s behavior, state of mind, and ability to carry out such statements.
The Senate impeachment trial is scheduled to begin on July 6. Duterte has denied that her previous remarks were direct threats, saying they were conditional and would only apply if she were killed first.