Bantug: Pretrial order sent to parties in Sara Duterte impeachment case

MANILA, Philippines — Ahead of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on July 6, the pretrial order has been sent electronically to the House prosecution panel and Duterte’s defense team, impeachment clerk of court Renato Bantug said.

When asked whether the pretrial order has already been sent, Bantug answered in the affirmative via text message on Monday.

“Released to the parties by electronic mail. Printed copies to be hand delivered,” Bantug said.

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According to Bantug, the court sent the pretrial order to the defense at 5:23 p.m., and to the prosecution at 5:24 p.m.

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The pretrial order contains the findings of the impeachment court following the five-day pretrial conference where evidence and witnesses were identified.

Apart from the exhibits that will be presented during the trial proper, the pretrial order supposedly contains the timeline of the trial, the number of trial days, and the order of tackling the articles of impeachment.

After three days, both parties will send a reply to the order, and based on the reply, the pretrial order may be revised.

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The vice president is facing the following articles of impeachment:

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 chief; and

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. /das

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