The article discusses whether individuals facing legal cases can still serve as witnesses in court proceedings.During the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senator-judge Robin Padilla requested that the prosecution avoid presenting witnesses with pending charges.However, lead prosecutor Rep.Gerville Luistro clarified that having a pending case or prior conviction does not automatically disqualify someone from testifying.

According to Section 21, Rule 130 of the 2019 Rules on Evidence, convictions or pending cases are not grounds for disqualification unless they meet specific criteria, such as being punishable by more than one year or involving moral turpitude.

University of the Philippines College of Law assistant professor Paolo Tamase explained that while prior convictions may affect a witness's credibility, they do not bar them from testifying.The credibility of a witness can also be challenged if they have been convicted of perjury or lying under oath.

The article emphasizes that being a witness does not imply guilt, and legal procedures ensure that testimony is evaluated based on evidence rather than prior legal status.