Sara Duterte impeachment: Defense seeks 'at least' 30 trial days

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team for her impeachment trial clarified on Monday that it sought “at least 30 trial dates” for the proceedings, contrary to the claim of the House prosecution panel.

Earlier, the new private prosecutor and team spokesman, Benjamin Tolosa Jr., questioned the defense’s request for 30 trial dates, while aiming to present 97 witnesses.

“It’s at least 30 trial days,” Poa told the media when asked to comment on the prosecution’s position.

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Despite the confusion, the two teams agreed on one thing: the trial may extend beyond September 2026.

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READ: Luistro: Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial could run past September

House prosecution lead counsel and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro admitted that finishing the trial by September “seems unlikely.”

Poa echoed Luistro’s sentiment, saying, “With the assessment of Rep. Luistro, in my view, three months is a bit tight.”

“I think both sides, we’re really trying to speed things up; we’re trying to expedite this. No one wants it to take too long, but again, it can’t be rushed either,” he added.

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He also explained that they could not predict the pace of the trial, and that the timeline would depend on the number of witnesses and the duration of direct and cross-examinations.

The prosecution requested 62 trial dates to present its evidence, but regardless of both sides’ requests, the schedule of proceedings will be decided by the Senate Impeachment Court. /mcm

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