Ex-law dean Ralph Sarmiento declines to testify in Sara Duterte trial – but her lawyers say they respect it
A former law school dean won't take the stand for the defense in the Sara Duterte impeachment trial.
By YouScoop Desk · · 2 min read
The gist
- Law professor and ex-law school dean Ralph Sarmiento declined to testify for the defense in the Sara Duterte impeachment trial.
- Duterte's lawyers said they respect his refusal to testify.
- Rappler has a separate report on why Sarmiento refused, but the sources here don't spell out his reasons.
Why it matters
The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is a major political process, and her defense team had planned to call Sarmiento as a witness. His decision removes him from that line-up, and it shows how witnesses can step back from high-profile trials.
Law professor and former law school dean Ralph Sarmiento has declined to testify for the defense in the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte. Several news outlets reported the move, with some describing it as him withdrawing as a defense witness.
The decision didn't come out of nowhere, since the defense had earlier shared its initial list of witnesses for the trial. Sarmiento was one of the names on that side of the case, so his exit changes who the defense can call. Still, the sources don't say how many other witnesses remain on the list.
What Duterte's Camp Said
Duterte's lawyers responded publicly and said they respect Sarmiento's refusal to testify. That is the only reaction from her side that the sources report, and they don't add any further comment on the matter.
Rappler's report goes further and looks at why Sarmiento refused to take the stand. The sources provided for this story only give the headline of that report, so the actual reasons are not covered here. Anyone who wants the full explanation should read that article directly.
It is also worth noting that the outlets use slightly different wording to describe the same development. Some say he "declines to testify," while others say he "withdraws as defense witness." Both describe the same outcome: he will not be giving testimony for Duterte's defense.
What Happens Next
The sources do not say who will replace Sarmiento or whether the defense will add new names. It is also not yet known how this will affect the timeline of the trial. Readers will need to keep an eye on updates from the courtroom as the proceedings continue.
For now, the story is simply that a former law dean has chosen not to testify, and the defense has said it respects that choice. So, do you think a witness should always be free to refuse testifying in a trial like this, or should they be expected to take the stand once they're listed?
Background
The defense had already listed its initial witnesses for the impeachment trial, according to GMA Network. Sarmiento was one of the people set to testify for the defense before he withdrew.
Sources
This story is written in our own words from reports by Philstar.com, Inquirer.net, GMA Network and Rappler. Spotted an error? Tell us.
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