Duterte defense drops all 16 bank witnesses in impeachment trial

Defense counsel Michael Poa told the Senate impeachment court on Thursday that Ysmael would not testify, because his only purpose was to authenticate a February 24, 2026 letter Poa sent to BPI and Poa had already acknowledged writing it in open court; the defense had earlier withdrawn its other 15 bank representatives, saying it wanted to shorten the proceedings. In that letter, Poa told the bank that Duterte had no knowledge of, or beneficial interest in, certain accounts held jointly with her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

After the withdrawal, private prosecutor James Bryan Ibrahim Alih told the court that BPI had submitted documents including a letter confirming Duterte maintained dollar denominated accounts, which an earlier subpoena had not covered, and presiding officer Francis Escudero stopped the discussion on the ground that the court had not yet formally received them. Hearings resume on November 19 and 20 after a break for the ASEAN Summit, and court spokesman Reginald Tongol said the defense still plans eight to 10 more witnesses, with a verdict before Christmas possible if the presentation of evidence concludes this month.