Day 2 of Sara Duterte impeachment pre-trial begins

MANILA, Philippines – The pre-trial conference for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case entered its second day of discussions on Monday morning.

The House of Representatives prosecution panel and Duterte’s defense team are expected to continue marking evidence, while the stipulation process will also be resolved.

Of the four articles of impeachment discussed, only the evidence and witnesses for the third article have been largely agreed upon so far.

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On the first day of the pre-trial, the prosecution and defense engaged in heated arguments, which both sides tagged as “normal.”

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READ: Heated discussions in Day 1 of pre-trial, but Poa says it’s normal

Defense lawyer and spokesperson Michael Poa previously said that Duterte’s camp hoped to finish the pre-trial conference by Monday at the earliest.

House prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno, in a radio interview, concurred, saying they expect the pre-trial to finish on Monday, if not Tuesday at the latest.

The pre-trial is conducted to stipulate facts, simplify issues, mark and waive objections to evidence, identify witnesses, and set the trial date and the sequence of presentation of evidence, among others.

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Duterte’s impeachment trial is scheduled on July 6, unless rescheduled during the pre-trial conference.

Duterte faces the following grounds for impeachment:

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Article I: Alleged misuse of up to P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd) from late 2022 to 2023.

Article II: Alleged accumulation of unexplained wealth disproportionate to her income as a public official and supposed nondisclosure of all her assets.

Article III: Alleged bribery and corruption through monetary gifts and secret payments to DepEd officials during her tenure as education secretary.

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Article IV: Public disclosure of allegedly contracting a hitman to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. /mcm/gsg