Defense panel witness Atty. Suzette Balucanag-Punay took the stand before the Senate on Wednesday, November 11, as the fourth witness for the defense in the Sara Duterte impeachment trial on its 42nd day of proceedings.
Balucanag-Punay, who serves as corporate counsel for GenCorp Industries, Inc. and Metro City Chow Foods Corp., testified to establish that Vice President Sara Duterte is neither a stockholder, officer, nor director of either company.
Her testimony was originally scheduled for Monday, November 9, but was postponed due to a previously scheduled MRI procedure.
The hearing formally opened under the leadership of Senator-Judge Pia Cayetano, who delivered the opening prayer before confirming the presence of a quorum with 13 senator-judges in attendance.
Prior to Balucanag-Punay’s appearance, several other personalities had already testified before the impeachment court during previous hearing dates.
Some senator-judges had earlier reprimanded previous witnesses for allegedly failing to provide direct answers to key questions related to the case, raising concerns about the clarity of their testimonies.
The impeachment proceedings against Vice President Duterte continue as both the prosecution and defense panels present evidence and witnesses before the Senate impeachment court.