Duterte impeachment: Prosecution seeks more pre-trial days

MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution team for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial has asked for additional days to finish the pre-trial conference—extending work to Friday and Saturday—so the parties can finish marking evidence.

Public prosecutors Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro and Manila Rep. Joel Chua said in a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon that they have relayed this request to the Impeachment Clerk of Court and Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr., through House of Representatives Secretary General Cheloy Garafil.

“I wish to share that the documents for confidential funds are really voluminous. As a matter of fact, the prosecutors have expressed their uncertainty as to whether the marking will be finished by Thursday,” Luistro said.

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“That is why we reached out already to Secretary Bantug, through Secretary General Cheloy Garafil, to ask whether there are other measures that may be considered to expedite the process of marking the exhibits. We understand that the position of the prosecution is to push through with the original timeline … and that is on July 6,” she added.

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Chua said that since Senate work ends on Thursday, they are asking that the pre-trial conference be extended to Friday and Saturday, as there are over 4,000 pieces of documentary evidence alone related to the alleged misuse of the confidential fund.

Part of their proposal, Chua noted, is also to request additional teams from the defense so more people could check and mark the evidence.

Luistro said currently, four teams are facilitating the marking of exhibits—one assigned to the unexplained wealth issue, while the rest handle confidential fund-related allegations.

Earlier, Luistro and defense lawyer Michael Poa said it appears the pre-trial conference would not be finished on Wednesday or Thursday.

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In an ambush interview, Luistro said that while everything went well on Monday, there are many documents that the prosecution and the defense have to check separately.

Luistro said one factor that could have expedited the process is if the defense panel allowed the joint marking of common documents and evidence, but Duterte’s lawyers did not agree.

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READ: Luistro, Poa admit: Pre-trial not yet near its ending

“Actually, we are hoping to finish it at the soonest possible time. However, the reality is, we have voluminous documents … notwithstanding the fact that there are common documents, and notwithstanding the fact that we requested the marking of common documents, one document by prosecution and by defense. The defense did not agree to that,” she explained.

Poa, meanwhile, said they denied the prosecution’s request for common markings as they are “being very careful with how we do things.”

“We want our own documents to be marked even if they are similar. These are also the documents we will use during the course of the trial,” he told the media.

READ: Defense refuses House prosecutors’ ‘common markings’ request in pretrial

Last June 9, the Senate Impeachment Court issued a notice inviting the parties to the pre-trial conference, which started last June 18.

According to the notice, the pre-trial conference is held to resolve the following matters before the trial proper:

Stipulation of facts and simplification of issues

Marking of documentary or real evidence and waiver of objections or admissions on evidence

Number and identification of witnesses

Setting of trial dates

Proposed sequence for the presentation of evidence and possible modification of the order of trial

Such other matters as will promote a fair and expeditious trial of the case

READ: Senate invites parties, sets June 18 impeachment pre-trial conference

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Last May 11, Duterte was impeached for a second time after 257 House lawmakers voted in favor of adopting House Resolution No. 989, which contains the Articles of Impeachment. Only 25 members voted against it, while nine abstained. /mcm